


From delinquent to criminal

by gingerprick



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 110,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerprick/pseuds/gingerprick
Summary: A retelling of Persona 5 with a (hopefully) different take on the protagonists personality.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 34
Kudos: 285





	1. Chapter 1

Ren Amamiya let out a long-drawn sigh as he finally left school and started his journey through his quaint little hometown. It’d been a hell of a day for the local delinquent, he got ganged up outside the school and while they hadn’t posed much of a threat, he ended up getting to school late which had gotten him a stern talking to by his guidance councillor, which in turn made him late for class where the teacher refused to let him sit the test. And to top it all off, he had some how managed to get himself caught picking the lock to his classroom because he had left his stupid bag in there, and of course the teachers didn’t believe him.

Ren looked back at his school and still couldn’t bring himself to fully hate it, most people his age wanted to escape from the monotony of the quiet life in the country but Ren was content to live his admittedly rough life here, he turned and made his way to the one part of town that he hated. His home.

Ren waited out front of his door and took a deep breath, a routine he developed to calm himself. He opened the door to be greeted immediately by his father yelling.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Ren remained quiet, he knew full well the question was rhetoric and any answer given would be meaningless. So, he just resigned himself to listening as he made his way towards the stairs. His father however wasn’t pleased with being ignored.

“I asked you a god damn question,” the words dripped with venom.

“And I didn’t answer. So, are we done?” Ren replied coldly while maintaining eye contact. When his father didn’t say anything more and just seethed he simply skirted around the man and continued to his destination.

“What did I say about those stupid holes in your ear?”

Ren just shrugged as started up the stairs “something about not getting anymore if I knew what was good for me.”

Ren was about halfway up the stair when he stopped at his father’s words.

“Your mother would be so disappointed.” Time felt like it stopped for Ren, a myriad of emotions exploded within him and he didn’t know how to handle it. Every fibre of his being wanted him to race down and punch the man and at the same time he just wanted to find a small corner and make himself as small as possible. So, he compromised. He turned around and walked past his father purposely bumping him out of the way and left the house, he wanted to slam the door but that wouldn’t be fair, it was as much her house as it was his.

Ren had managed to calm himself down slightly, helped by the fact that he now had some food in his stomach, he hadn’t realised how hungry he had been from the exhausting day. Even if the food was just a convenience store meal, it tasted wonderful.

Ren wasn’t sure how long he walked around his town, he didn’t have any destination in mind, or any time limit, his dad had tried to enforce a curfew but gave up when it seemingly made Ren stay out later each night. Regardless of what time Ren went home, he knew what was going to be waiting for him. Either dead silence or an exceptionally long and loud lecture.

Ren enjoyed walking around at night though, it was quiet, no neighbours that looked at him with disdain or pity, no students trying to irk him into a fight or people talking behind his back. He found it ironic that he felt less isolated when he was alone. Ren was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard an unfamiliar noise. He followed it and as he got closer, he started to understand what was happening, he could tell a woman was fighting with a man, the man sounded very drunk and obviously wasn’t taking no for an answer. He rounded the corner and found the source, the lady was being grabbed and Ren could tell her shirt was slightly ripped, the man was bald with yellow sunglasses and a goatee, he was trying to get the girl into his car.

Ren knew that this wasn’t his business, he knew what happens when he stuck his nose into situations like these and they never ended well for him. Whenever he tried to stand up for himself or the little guy, he was always the one to take the fall. He knew that walking away was the smart choice, it was the reasonable choice.

So, Ren cursed his body and he stupid moral compass as he started walking towards the two instead of away. He swore he was the most selfless delinquent around.

He managed to reach the two before the man managed to get her into the car, Ren grabbed the man’s hand and looked at him with a small smile, hoping to diffuse the situation without it resorting to violence.

“I think the Lady isn’t interested sir so maybe you should just leave her alone.”

The man looked at Ren with annoyance and rage on his face at being told what to do.

“Fuck off kid, this doesn’t concern you.”

He tried to walk around Ren, but he just moved to intercept the man.

“That’s enough get in the car and go home and try not to run anyone over,” Ren said coldly, all traces of trying to be civil gone from his face.

This only seemed to enrage the man further, clearly, he wasn’t used to people telling him no, especially some country kid with too many piercings. The man tried once again to get around Ren but as he made his move, he stumbled over his own feet and landing face first into the concrete. Ren just rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight, he inwardly mocked himself for even getting into a defensive stance. The man raised his face off the floor, there was a small gash on his head with blood trickling down from it, it wasn’t serious, but the blood made it look worst then it was.

“You damn brat, I’ll sue.”

Ren just scoffed at the man, he was about to ignore the dude and see if the lady was alright but he was cut off by two police officers getting out of the car, they walked casually towards the three from the other side of the road.

The man looked at the woman and just said “If you want any chance after this, tell the cops this guy assaulted me,” Ren just stared at him with a raised eyebrow, there was no way she’d go along with this. He turned to look at the woman and felt his stomach drop, he had expected her to look offended, angry, scared even. But she just looked conflicted, she was seriously thinking about her options here.

“Hey what happened here, we got a noise complaint” they looked at the man and saw his cut “Sir, what happened.”

Ren’s stomach dropped even further, he could feel his palms start to get clammy, he was getting a bad feeling. Something his mother had always told him to trust. They knew who the guy was, Ren didn’t which meant he wasn’t from around town, and that could only mean he was someone important.

“Officers, I’m glad you’re here, this brat was trying to mug us on our way home and then assaulted me.”

The cops looked at Ren suspiciously, while everyone knew he was the local delinquent, know one ever pegged him as a full on criminal, maybe because of towns love for his mother but right now they weren’t entirely convinced of eithers stories. The police officers just looked at The lady, the third neutral party.

Ren felt his mouth go dry as he heard what she said. “It’s true, he assaulted Shido-san and tried to take my purse.”

Ren hadn’t even noticed the handcuffs around his wrists or that he had been pushed into police cruiser. The rest of the night became a blur, he got taken the police station for the night before his dad bailed him out. The trip home was quiet, it wasn’t even his dad’s normal angry quiet. It was just disbelief and probably disappointment and it made Ren feel even worst. He didn’t like his dad, he didn’t respect him but he knew that he just made both of there lives a living hell for the unforeseeable future.

After a couple of quiet days, Ren was summoned to court. The trial was rigged from the start, no defense attorney and no one even asked for his side of the story. The man he apparently assaulted didn’t even show up and the only witness testified against him. If it wasn’t for his father’s connections and this being his first criminal offence he was given a choice. Spend the year in Juvie or spend his second year of high school on probation in Tokyo at a different school.

That’s how he got to where he was now, waiting for the train that would take him to his new life in Tokyo, wearing his new uniform that felt tight, it felt claustrophobic with all the buttons up, he generally preferred looser clothes and usually preferred to keep his blazer open. But his dad had insisted that he at least look prim and proper and after all he did to help, he felt that he should listen at least this one time.

“The train will be arriving in 5 minutes.”

The two stood in silence, neither sure what could be said in this situation. Ren heard his father let out a small sigh before turning to him.

“Listen Ren,” he said calmly, softer then his usual voice, it sounded tired “I know we don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, There are time where you make me want to tear my hair out but I want you to know that I do believe you tried to do the right thing, you just messed with the wrong person.” He went quiet, picking his next words carefully “So I’m telling you this for your sake so I hope you please just listen for once, take out those stupid piercings and keep your head down, no lock picking, no challenging bullies to fights and don’t be a god damn smart ass. Just grit your teeth and get through the year without ruffling any more feathers.”

The train arrived at the station before Ren could come up with a response, he knew his father was right and what he was saying was coming from the good place but it hurt him unbelievably so, it felt like everyone had betrayed him for doing the right thing. So, he only nodded slightly before removing his piercings and shoving him into his bag and covering his ear with his hair. He rushed onto the train; it would have been fine to hug his dad goodbye, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He found a seat on the opposite side from his station, he didn’t want to look at the face his dad was making. As the train made it long journey towards Tokyo, he let his head rest against the window and the dull thud of it made him sleepy, he hadn’t be able to sleep much the past few days.

‘From delinquent to criminal just like that huh.’

Ren smiled bitterly while forming a fist and digging his nails into his palm.

‘What a fucking joke.’


	2. Chapter 2

Ren awoke to the sound of the train announcement “We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly,” he stretched his arms and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, usually after a nap like that he’d feel refreshed but the sight of waking up to find out it wasn’t all just a bad dream left him feeling more tired, like having a weight taken off his shoulder just to have slammed right back down.

He made his way out of the station and was greeted by a sensory overload, so many sounds and people encompassed Ren and he had half a mind to cover his ears and run to the nearest alley just for a moment of quiet. He managed to restrain himself and opted to putting his headphones in and playing some music to drown out the sounds of the city, he knew he was going to have to get used to it but that was a future problem, the current problem was finding his way to the next station that would take him to his new home for the next year. He looked down at his phone and noticed a new app that hadn’t been there previously. Curiosity got the better of Ren and he decided to see what it was, he opened the app and his phone went black. His music stopped but the sounds of the city didn’t return to assault his senses, he looked up and felt a chill run through his spine as the world around him stopped and the colour drained from everything.

‘I am actually going insane,’ he thought to himself as he witnessed the centre of Shibuya get engulfed in a column of blue flames creating a wall in front of Ren before a face with a maniacal laugh appeared within, gazing at the face and hearing the laugh gave Ren a splitting headache, he clutched his head and closed his eyes to try and ease the pain before the world started back up again, the hundreds of people around him all going about their business not paying any attention to Ren despite how strange he must have looked.

He managed to stumble his way into an alley free of people and let his back slide against the wall, he was dripping with sweat and his headache still lingered, he looked back at his phone and immediately deleted the app. After a few minutes, he managed to pull himself up and went back on his journey to find the damn station, hopefully with less fire.

Ren found himself standing in front of a café, he was told this was the most likely place to find his ward. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He was greeted by the pleasant smell of coffee and curry. His stomach immediately rumbled but old man doing his crossroad didn’t look up. “What can I get you?” Ren just stood awkwardly, unsure how to breach the subject.

“Um, are you Sojiro Sakura?”

The man looked away from his puzzle towards Ren.

“Ah that’s right, today was the day.” He said idly as he chucked the magazine onto the counter

“Follow me, I’ll show you where you’ll be staying,” he started moving towards the stairs near the bathroom before looking back at Ren who still hadn’t moved. “Well are you coming?”

Ren realised a bit too late that they weren’t leaving the café, which meant he was essentially going to be staying in an attic. He let out a quiet sigh before moving towards the stairs to follow Sojiro. He had braced himself for the worst, it was an attic so there might be a few boxes and a couple of cobwebs. Ren’s jaw dropped when he reached the top of the stairs.

There was more dust then there was attic, and there was furniture and books scattered across the floor, none of them seemed to be related to a café at all. Sojiro saw the look on Ren’s face and chuckled to himself “Got something to say about your new place?”

Ren was prepared to say a lot of things, make a lot of comments on the liveability of sleeping on dust but then stopped himself. He rubbed his ear and remembered what his dad had told him. He let his face go to a blank and neutral state ‘Don’t be a smartass Amamiya’.

“It’s fine, I’ll just need to do some cleaning. Thank you,” he gave a polite bow and started towards the bed to put his bag down. Sojiro just gave a gruff at his response and went back downstairs. Ren went to work cleaning up his new home. After a couple hours went by and Ren was sure there was more dust in his lungs then oxygen, he had managed to get the attic clean enough to be considered liveable. Sojiro came up to check on his new tenant a few moments later.

“Wow, have you spent the entire time cleaning?” Ren just gave a solemn nod recounting all the dust “Looks good kid, might have start renting to place out after you leave.” He said with a slight smirk. Ren was quiet wondering if he should ask the question that was on his mind. He was too tired to follow his father’s advice to a tee.

“Why did you take me in Sojiro-san?”

Sojiro rubbed his chin like he was trying to remember his reasons, he let out a sigh. “I’m an old friend of your dads, he explained the situation, you got caught trying to help a girl and you got kicked out of your town on an assault charge. Which means no one wanted to watch your sorry ass.” He chuckled at his own joke “and your dad was willing to pay so that’s a bonus,” he started to leave before stopping.

“I know it sounds cruel but at least you know now to keep your nose out of other people’s business. Get some rest, we need to introduce you to your new school tomorrow, so I’ll drop you off,” and with that he walked down the stairs leaving Ren to his ponder the words that sounded awfully. He flopped down onto his bed, it wasn’t particularly comfortable but it was a bed away from his home, so it felt like heaven, he felt his consciousness slipping before hearing his phone go off. He looked at it and noticed the same strange app from earlier. Not wanting to repeat that nightmare, he quickly deleted it.

Makoto wasn’t particularly happy to be at school on her Sunday, for once she was grateful Sae wasn’t home to ask where she was going. She was sure that her prosecutor sister would have some choice words about her little sister wasting time she could be spending studying to get introduced to a new transfer student who also has an assault charge. Why she was meeting him at all wasn’t explained to her though and Principle Kobayakawa refused to elaborate any further. So now she stood in said principles office with a very irate Kawakami sensei waiting for this infamous transfer student, she wasn’t sure what she was to expect, the only information she was given was that he was a delinquent at his old school out in the country and he had middling grades all around.

When he walked in though all preconceived ideas about how he would look and act vanished. He was attractive to put it bluntly, she had to turn away to hide her slight blush, she had assumed he was going to be some tough guy with a short bleached hair, but instead the boy in front of her was tall with slightly lanky limbs, his hair was raven black, long and curly covering his eyes and ears. He wasn’t buff by any means, but he was somewhat toned, obvious that he at least took care of his body.

“Ah Sakura-san, I appreciate you coming today, I’m sure you’re a busy man.”

Ren wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, no one in the room aside from the student in the corner seemed to acknowledge him at all. It made him feel angry and numb, no one wanted him, and he wasn’t even sure why he was there. Everything the principle was saying was going in one ear and out the other, but the message was still clear. ‘Don’t screw up or it’s over.’

Sojiro noticed Ren’s discomfort and while he didn’t particularly care for the kid, he didn’t hate him enough to force him to endure something like this.

“Hey are we done here? I got a café to run.”

Principal Kobayakawa looked genuinely surprised to hear that from Sojiro, obviously enjoying the sound of his own voice a bit too much. He coughed “Yes I believe that’s everything,” and with that two began to leave. They opened the door but before they could exit, Kobayakawa chimed “Oh and Amamiya-kun, we want you to achieve outstanding grades so you will be studying with the student council president, miss Nijima here.”

Makato looked at Kobayakawa with utter shock and disbelief. “Principle Kobayakawa, why wasn’t I told about this?” he looked at Makato with irritation clear on his face, “I’m telling you now, will that be a problem miss Nijima?” Makoto could only clench her fists and grit her teeth; she knew that arguing with him would only cause her problems in the future. She managed to reply through her teeth “No sir, there’s no problem.” He gave her a slimy smile at her obedience and turned back to Ren. “And I assume you have no problems Mr Amamiya?”

Ren could feel his shoulders go tense, this entire situation was fucked, he was treated like he didn’t exist the entire time and the one time they actually talk to him, it’s to imply he isn’t capable of getting good grades without the help of a third party. He wanted to scream, he’s wanted to scream since he got on the train, he just wanted one person to listen to him. He could feel himself about to explode but once again his father words just clouded his mind. He felt himself bite his lip and tasted blood from the pressure. He managed to give a smile before bowing and leaving the room.

He walked towards the stairs, he heard his phone go off and saw a message from Sojiro “Had to get some supplies so you’re on you own to get back home, make sure you get back before dinner or your locked out.” Ren sighed after closing his phone, he wasn’t sure if he was annoyed by the sudden change in plans or grateful to be alone for a bit. He was down the first set of stairs when he heard footsteps following him, he turned to find one miss Nijima following him and doing it very poorly, he was considering just ignoring her but he wasn’t in the mood to be stalked for god knows how long.

“What do you want?” he exhaled far more aggressively then he intended, the frustration from the whole ordeal obviously still fresh in his mind. He noticed her flinch at his words, and he realised that she probably knows about his record if she was tasked with tutoring him. He rubbed his hair and tried to calm himself down. “I’m sorry…It’s just been a long day. Did you need something Nijima-san”?

She seemed to relax at his apology. She straightened out her skirt and tried to look as big as possible, it still painfully clear that she was somewhat scared of him.

“I just thought you would like me to show you around the school while it’s empty,” Ren looked at her and saw her tense shoulders and reserved stance. She was doing this because she thought it was the right thing to do, not because she actually wanted to do it. And for some reason this just made Ren all the more aware of his position right now, he was a statistic, a tool to bring good PR to the school and she was another tool in making sure that happened.

He just looked her in the eye and saw her flinch, he decided she didn’t need to get more involved than this, So he just gave her as genuine a smile as possible before answering “No thank you Nijima senpai, you’ve done more than enough, and don’t worry about tutoring me, I’ll get my grades up myself. Goodbye.” and with that he turned on his feet and quickly exited the school.

Makoto stood where she was silently. She didn’t know why she had asked the boy, the principle made it clear that all that was required of her was to ensure the boy got good grades. She had no reason to go any further but when she saw the way his eyes went from burning with rage to empty and cold, she felt compelled to check on him. And the way he managed to give her a smile that on the surface was practically perfect but at the same time seemed to scream for help she felt her heart beat slower. She had to wonder if he really was the criminal he was being made out to be because to her. He looked like someone who had be abandoned by the world itself.


	3. Chapter 3

Ren was convinced the morning of his first day that life couldn’t get any worst. He figured that being abandoned by the people around him and being forced to attend a school that didn’t really want him would be the crux of his issues. Turns out that whatever god decided he would also have to deal with crazy dreams about rehabilitation and prophecies also found it hilarious to have it pour with rain on his way to school. So, he found himself standing under an awning just staring at the streets as students and businessmen walked by without passing him a single glance. At least he was alone and able to breathe somewhat calmly, the sound of rain tended to drown out the overwhelming sounds of Tokyo, something he was grateful for. As he waited for the rain to lighten up, Ren found himself pulling at his collar, he wasn’t used to having it done all the way up and it felt too tight for him, he rubbed his hand over his ear, forgetting that he left his piercings at home per his father’s request. It left him feeling even more nervous.

It wasn’t long before his solitude was broken by another student who had the same idea as him, he could tell it was a girl based on her frame and it was confirmed as she pulled down her hood letting her blond twin tails free. Ren couldn’t help but stare at the girl, she was pretty, that was an objective fact, but he was more curious about seeing someone who clearly wasn’t fully Japanese. She must have felt him staring at her because she gave him a side glance before politely smiling, Ren didn’t make any attempt to hide the fact he was looking, he just casually nodded to her before retuning his gaze to the street, while she was pretty, she wasn’t his type so he didn’t feel too guilty getting caught.

Time seemed to drag as the rain continued to pour, Ren was tempted to ask the girls name, if not just to relieve some of the awkwardness of two people standing next to each other without speaking. He missed the opportunity as a car pulled up in front of the two. The passenger window rolled down to reveal what Ren could only describe as a ‘face only a mother could love,’ a perfectly creepy mix of a baby face and a sex offender. The blue tracksuit didn’t help at all.

The man looked at the girl next to him before asking “Hey, do you need a ride?” Ren side eyed the girl wondering how someone like her could be related to _something_ like him and as she started towards the car, Ren could clearly see the discomfort and defeat on her face. As she opened the door the man asked Ren with far less enthusiasm “How about you?”

Ren could see how uncomfortable she was, he thought it’d be safer to go with her, or to get her out of the car but as he was about to reply, he mind drifted back to the day at the train station and to his father’s request. Ren could only wave his hand at the man’s question and watched as he drove off, leaving Ren to feel sick to his stomach at his own cowardice.

Ren wasn’t alone with his thoughts for long when another blonde, who definitely wasn’t a natural, came barrelling under the awnings. He stopped in his tracks and watched the car drive away.

“Damn pervy teacher” he grumbled completely ignoring him. Ren could only quietly repeat the words that he heard, “Pervy teacher?” Apparently, it wasn’t as quiet as he thought as the boy turned to stare at him with a glare, though it seemed somewhat forced.

“What, you planning on ratting me out to Kamoshida?”

Ren just stared at the boy, trying to figure out if the question was rhetorical or not. “Who’s Kamoshida?” The blonde boy just stared him up and down looking at his uniform “You go to Shujin right? You really expect me to believe you don’t know who Kamoshida is” Ren let out a long sigh, the boy was starting to give him a headache, at least he didn’t feel sick anymore, just annoyed.

“I just transferred, todays my first day,” the boy looked him over again and ditched the scowl on his face, realising that trying to intimidate someone who had no idea who he was wasn’t going to do him any good. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“That makes sense considering I’ve never seen you before,” Ren could tell this guy wasn’t the brightest. But he didn’t feel like making enemies on his first day, so he tried to get the conversation moving again.

“So, who’s Kamoshida?” The scowl returned to the boy’s face immediately after he said the name.

“He’s the pervert teacher that just drove off. Asshole thinks he’s the king of the castle at Shujin.”

Ren felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he thought he heard something, but it was too quiet with the rain, the boy in front of him got his attention.

“Shit, we’re gonna be late, follow me, I know a shortcut,” Ren debated whether following the guy was the smart move, but considering he’s the first person in days to actually talk to Ren, he decided to follow the blond boy.

Ren was sure that the life couldn’t get any worst, raining on his first day would have to have been where god would draw the line. Not trapping him and his new blonde buddy in a god damn castle. Ren woke up feeling groggy, his head spun as he tried to sit but it quickly corrected itself. His headache though was still there and was only being exasperated by the blonde banging on the bars.

“Hey, let us out of here!” he was greeted by Ren groaning at the volume. The blonde who had introduced himself as Ryuji Sakamoto turned around to face him.

“Hey dude, you ok?” Ren appreciated the genuine concern in his voice. “Yeah, just a bit groggy, where are we?” He looked around to see they were in a cell, not unlike one you’d find in castle which made as much sense as being trapped in a castle in 2020 could.

“No clue, it looks like a dungeon but that’s insane.”

“Is it any more insane then walking into a castle that’s apparently sitting right where a school should be?” Ren replied totally deadpan, suddenly Ryuji shoved to the floor by the cell door as guards piled into the room followed by a sight Ren is sure will be burned into his mind for the rest of his possibly very short life, a naked Kamoshida wearing nothing but a pink speedo and a royal looking cape. He stared down at Ryuji.

“Ah Sakamoto, I should have known you were the intruder.”

Ryuji managed to get back to his feet but his path to Kamoshida was blocked by knights.

“Kamoshida, what the hell is going on”.

Kamoshida just spat at the floor next to Ryuji. “Insolent fools’, barge into my castle and talk to me like that,” his gaze turned towards Ren “You’re a fresh face, but if you're associating with Sakamoto then you must be trash as wel-”

Suddenly he was cut off by a guard being pushed into him, Ryuji looked at Ren.

“Quick, run!” but they didn’t get the chance as Ren was blocked by knights and Ryuji was quickly grabbed and forced to his knees. Kamoshida regained his balance and sauntered to towards Ryuji before letting a right hook crash against his face.

“If you wanted me to kill you so badly, you just needed to ask” he looked towards one of his knights and nodded in Ryuji’s direction. The knight took his position and lifted the sword above the blondes head. Ren tried to rush forward but was grabbed by two nights and slammed against the wall.

“You can just stand there and watch, trash.” Kamoshida explained with a sickening grin across his face. Ren could only watch in horror as Ryuji braced for impact as the sword started to descend. And then, just like when he first arrived in Shibuya, time seemingly stopped as Ren stared forward. His gaze focused entirely on a blue butterfly. A soft voice spoke as if it was his own consciousness.

‘This truly is an unjust game, your chances of winning almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may still be a possibility open to you,” and suddenly the soft voice was replaced by another, a voice entirely strange yet oddly familiar.

“What’s the matter, are you content with just watching as those around you suffer. Will you willingly silence yourself for you own preservation?”

Ren could feel his head pounding, wanting to split open but he continued to listen to the voice, knowing full well that ignoring it was the wrong choice.

“Do you regret your decision, to act upon your own justice to help another. Was it wrong for you to do that?”

The question was so simple, the answer was even more so, he knew his true feelings better than anyone. But he couldn’t bring himself to answer immediately, his father’s words still ringing painfully in his ears. The headache was only getting worst and he wanted nothing more than to pass out. To be done with the entire situation and just sleep. Maybe what he did was wrong and as these thoughts drifted in his mind. The voice became quieter, sounding almost disappointed. But just before it had fully disappeared, he felt a cool, soft hand touch his ear and move his hair. As he opened his eyes, he could see her, smiling with full sincerity before poking his forehead.

“Ren. No matter what you choose to do with your life. No matter what type of person you turn out to be. I will always be here for you, to support you and to tell you that what you’re doing is right. Because I know that whatever you do, you’ll do for the sake of the people you care about.”

And as quickly as it had come, it faded, the voice and touch of his mother gone.

“I wasn’t wrong.” he muttered quietly. Not to anyone in the room, not to the voice in his head. Not to any cognition of his parents or friends. He said it to himself. And the headache was gone. A gale of wind emanating from seemingly nowhere blowing back the guards holding him. He was standing on his own two feet and he could feel something on his face. He tentatively touched the mask now sitting on his nose, it was attached to his skin. While the rational part of his brain was telling him to leave it alone, his instincts were screaming to rip it off, no matter the pain, remove the mask and see what happens. And that’s what he did. He struggled to get a grip on the smooth material but as he did, he pulled, and pulled until he screamed in pain as the skin ripped from his face, blood pooling down and with a final tug, he removed his mask and was rewarded with what he could only describe as true freedom as blue flames engulfed his entire body, coiling around each of his limbs before removing themselves, leaving behind a three tailed coat and red gloves with black pants. His hair shaved on one side to reveal his left ear that was now adorned with glamorous piercings the flames themselves took the form of a demonic creature who sported red pants and arms, heels made of blades, black wings that stretched across the entire cell and topped off with a top hat.

Ryuji could only look with something that was halfway between mortal terror and awestruck as he stared at what used to be the meek and timid looking boy he had met earlier that day, who was now sporting what could only be described as a shit eating smirk. For the first time today, Ryuji met the real Ren Amamiya and couldn’t help but grin himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Ren felt free, he felt right as he brushed his hand against his hair and ear. He could feel Arsene behind him, patiently waiting for him to act. And Ren was happy to comply, he slid his hand into his coat and pulled out a knife. It fit his hand perfectly, it had just the right amount of weight behind it like it was tailored made just for him.

“What are you morons waiting for. Kill him!” Kamoshida barked from behind his knights. Two knights charged at Ren, as a sword came down towards his skull, he moved with a fluidity he wasn’t aware he possessed, he nimbly avoided the strike and taking the opportunity, drove his knife deep into the helmets eye slot. It disintegrated almost immediately, and Ren let out a sigh of relief.

“Jeez, almost thought I killed someone there. But if you guys are just gonna turn to dust after I hurt you.” The smirk quickly returned to his face as he pocketed his knife. He could feel Arsene tugging at his chains, itching for a fight and Ren was nothing if not gracious.

“Ravage them Arsene” the gentleman thief darted forward and quickly skewered a knight with his long dagger like claws. He tossed the limp corpse against Kamoshida knocking the perverted king off his feet. Ren walked towards him as Arsene went ahead and took out the Knights behind them. He squatted in front of Kamoshida and rested his chin on his hand as he studied the man.

“You know? Pink really isn’t your colour.” He turned away and started towards the exit, casually talking to Ryuji who was still stuck where he was in stunned silence.

“Ryuji grab the keys” the order snapped him out of his daze and he ran after Ren with keys in hand. Kamoshida was too slow to realise what his captors having the keys to the cell meant and wasn’t able to get out as Ryuji slammed the door shut and locked it.

“Eat shit Kamoshida” Ryuji laughed as he tossed the keys into a nearby river.

“Wait! Let me out of here you damn punk” Ryuji responded by flipping Kamoshida the bird before he and Ren ran off leaving Kamoshida to scream from inside his cell. The two made it about 10 metres through the dungeon before they had to stop. Ren felt his knees give out nearly and nearly fell before Ryuji managed to grab him.

“Whoa you ok?” the worry in his voice made Ren smile slightly, at least someone liked him. Suddenly a blue haze covered Ren and his clothes returned to normal. He looked down at his uniform and let out a little _tch._ It took a moment before Ren regained his balance and was able to stand on his own.

“Thanks Ryuji” the blonde just beamed a smile at Ren, his obvious and genuine emotion brightening the mood slightly.

“No worries, it’s the least I can do after you saved my ass. But how do we get out of here?”

Ren didn’t answer, he just rubbed his hair as he took in his surrounding, from outside the cell, it was clear they were underground. But that didn’t really tell them much considering the absurdity of the entire situation.

“Do you wanna get out of here?” a high-pitched voice startled the two out of their thoughts. They looked around for the source of the voice, unable to find it, the two looked at each other both thinking the same thing ‘Are we going nuts’

“Down here idiots”

They began looking again but this time at a lower elevation and quickly found the source. But their original thought still rang true as neither of them could really comprehend what they were looking at. A small bipedal mascot not unfamiliar to a cat, Ryuji decided to take the plunge into crazy town first and asked the question on both of their minds,

“Did you just talk?”

The mascot let out a small huff of air at the question.

“Of course, I talked, and I asked you two a question. Do you want to get out of here? Let me out and I’ll show you the way” the creature puffed out it’s chest in pride. Ryuji slowly pulled Ren by his shoulder to face away from the cat like creature. “You hear him too right” Ren could only nod, too confused to think, he still hadn’t figured out how to refer to the thing, much less acknowledge its language capabilities. Both the boys turned back towards the creature.

“How would a cat be able to help us?”

“I AM NOT A CAT!” the not a cat jumped up and stamped its feet at the two. It took a breath and continued.

“I was staking out this castle, but I ended getting caught”

“Staking it out? What for” Ryuji asked the, he stood silent with a pained expression on its face.

“I… don’t remember” the not a cat mumbled in response but quickly returned to its original bravado.

“but that’s not important, I need to get out of here and you two need a guide. So, do we have a deal?” the two boys looked to each other, Ryuji clearly wasn’t buying it but still asked Ren “What do you think?”

Ren walked towards the cell before squatting in front of the door, getting as close to eye level as he could. He held up two fingers “Two things before I let you out. First tell me your name, and second, if it turns out your lying, I will personally throw you into that river behind us” the cat shivered at Ren’s smile.

“Morgana, now if you could just find a bobby pin or a thin piece of metal then I can-”

Click

Ren opened the door and started putting away the tools he had taken out from a small punch in his bag. Morgana and Ryuji looked at him in disbelief. Ren looked back at the two after finishing, he quirked his eyebrow at the two.

“How do you know how to pick locks” they said in unison, then glared at each other. Ren could already feel a headache forming from their bickering. He rubbed his temple as he replied.

“I learned it a few years ago back in my hometown…Not a lot of things to do” while he liked Ryuji and felt like he could trust him, he wasn’t exactly ready to dump his entire story on the guy. Especially not when they’re still stuck in a castle and in the company of a talking cat mascot.

“Any way Morgana, can we go now, I don’t wanna spend any more time here than necessary”

Morgana seemingly pleased with being given a task puffed out his chest and started leading the boys out of the dungeon. As they reached a set of stairs that led up to the entry way, they were ambushed by a set of knights. Morgana jumped in front of the two boys.

“Stay behind me, I’ll deal with the shadows. Come Zorro!” a burst of wind surrounded the three as a matador with over exaggerated limbs, as if they were inflatable, emerged behind Morgana. The knights however seemed to collapse under there own weight before turning into an ooze, they emerged as weird floating creatures with pumpkin heads. Ren felt a familiar coolness envelop his body.

“Dude, your clothes changed again” Ren looked down to see he was wearing his coat from earlier, the breeze feeling cooler on his head and the empty feeling of his piercings now filled. He couldn’t contain the smirk that came as he felt the mask on his face. Morgana seemed completely shocked by his transformation.

“You’re a persona user?” the word persona rang in his ears. “Persona” he whispered calling forth Arsene who floated behind him like Zorro. He charged forward ignoring the questions coming from not a cat as he drew his knife and cleanly sliced through one of the jack o lanterns before jumping out of the way of an incoming fireball that left the spot he was standing on black with soot.

“Garu!” a sudden burst of wind sent the other jack o lantern flying across the room slamming it against the wall. Arsene quickly followed before impaling the poor pumpkin with his dagger heel.

Morgana hopped in front of Ren with Ryuji coming closer now that it was safe.

“I never would have expected to meet another persona user”

Ryuji clearly showing that he has had enough with being confused asked the obvious question. “What the hell is this persona shit?” Morgana simply smirked at Ryuji; something was telling Ren that these two bickering was going to be a running theme.

“Well if you must know, A persona is the physical manifestation of the mask you show the world, like the inner self you use to deal with hardships. A persona user uses that power to fight the shadows which are the malevolent manifestation of a persons thoughts” Ren would have laughed at Ryuji’s face as he tried his hardest to understand what morgana had just told them, but too many questions were running through his own mind. Did this have something to do with Igor and his rehabilitation. Why did his clothes change, how did this all relate to where they were right now?

“You said this reality, does that mean this isn’t our normal realty?” Morgana looked at Ren like he had grown a second head. Clear that he either said something very relevant or very stupid. His affirmative nod showed it was the former.

“You catch on a lot quicker than your friend here. You’re right-” the sounds of guards rushing from where they came from interrupted Morgana, they all shared a nod that implied that it would have to wait. The three rushed up the stairs and continued following Morgana as he led them out of the castle to the drawbridge they had entered from.

“If you just go this way, you should find yourself back in your reality” the two looked at each other with slight apprehension, it all felt too easy to Ren. After everything that had happened just to be let back into the normal world. Ren turned around to ask Morgana some more questions, but the creature was nowhere to been seen. He let out a sigh before he started walking across the drawbridge with Ryuji beside him.

As the two kept walking back the way they came, Ren could tell they were close to there own reality, maybe awakening his persona made it more obvious when their reality had changed, just another question to add to his growing collection. The two ended up back where they first met, both feeling exhausted mentally and physically. Neither of them got the chance to ask the generic ‘was that all real’ question as they were approached by two police officers.

“Hey, why aren’t you two in school”

Ryuji looked aggravated by the cop’s annoyed tone. “Screw school we were just trapped in a castle-”

Ren quickly clapped his hand over Ryuji’s mouth in a desperate attempt to keep the blonde quiet.

“Castle? Are you two on drugs, you’re from Shujin academy, right?” Ren wasn’t planning on screwing up his probation so soon, so he gave the first excuse he had in his head.

“We’re very sorry sir, this idiot slept in past his alarm and I was just grabbing him to bring to school, better late than, never right? Let’s go blondie” Ren grabbed Ryuji’s shirt and started walking away pretending not to hear the cops asking him to explain the situation further with Ryuji grumbling about being called an idiot the entire way to school.

Ren would have been annoyed by Ryuji complaining the entire way but it kept his mind off of the events that just happened so he was honestly sort of grateful that his new friend could act so normal. He felt a small smile come as they made their way to school.


	5. Chapter 5

“What the hell are you two boys doing coming so late”

This is what greeted Ren and Ryuji as they walked into the school gate, not a castle in sight. Neither looking particular up for dealing with a pissed off guidance councillor.

“Those cops must have ratted us out” Ryuji whispered in Ren’s ear as they started walking up the stairs. Both boys tensed immediately at the sight of Kamoshida walking out, thankfully he was wearing his normal clothes this time.

“You should cut them a break sir, Sakamoto’s always been a lost cause used to be quite the delinquent I hear.”

Ryuji moved forward slightly, still tense.

“What was that asshole?” he wasn’t able to get too close to Kamoshida before the councillor grabbed Ryuji’s arm and dragged him into the school scolding him for being late and rude to Kamoshida. Just leaving the two staring each other down.

Ren wasn’t sure to how to act, it seemed like the teacher wasn’t aware what had happened in the past 4 hours, but he could feel the hostility coming from Kamoshida. He gave Ren a plastic smile.

“You should meet with Kawakami; she’s been waiting the whole day for you to arrive”

Ren decided it’d be better to not push his luck any further and simply nodded in response and started walking past the former king before being stopped by his stretched out arm.

“Trash like you has no right to be at this school, I suggest you don’t get too comfortable”

Ren looked back to see that same plastic smile but now it hid something much more sinister, it’s the same sick smile he had when he was wearing a speedo ready to lop of Ryuji’s head. Ren instinctually reached for the knife that he didn’t have anymore, so he opted for the next best thing. The proverbial knife.

“You know, it’s real unbecoming of a teacher to pick up high schoolers. Let me guess” he pointed towards the man’s crotch “You have trouble pleasing the more experienced ladies don’t ya?”

Ren could feel the anger radiating from the man but didn’t back down, he had enough of adults trying to intimidate him. He walked under the stretched-out arm and headed towards the faculty office with his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Do you have any idea how late you are?” Kawakami sighed as if she was the one in trouble.

“How did you even manage to come this late” Ren almost let his smart ass nature get the better of him but managed to hold it in, as much as he enjoyed talking back to Kamoshida, he knew that Kawakami didn’t deserve that, she was just trying to do her job.

He bowed his head slightly while apologising “I’m very sorry, I got lost, I’m still not used to the subway system” she knew there more to the story, like how it somehow involved Sakamoto but she chose to let it be, she didn’t want to get more involved with the transfer student then necessary.

“Well I guess there’s no point mulling over it now, c’mon, lets introduce you to your class, 4th period is about to begin” she got out of her chair and started walking towards the classroom with Ren following a few paces behind.

As soon as he entered the classroom, he could feel something was off, it’s normal for students to stare at a new transfer student, sure, but this wasn’t simple curiosity, this was a stare of fear and wonder, like an escaped animal running through the streets. Then he heard the whispers if you could even call them that.

“Hey, isn’t he the transfer student, the one with a record.”

“I heard he beat someone up so badly that they weren’t able to go to the court hearing,”

“I heard he’s an ex Yakuza and he carries a knife”

Ren could hear his heart beating in his ears, he tried his hardest not to let the anger and frustration show on his face, but he wasn’t sure how well he was doing it. Luckily, Kawakami noticed his tension before she clapped her hands to get the rooms attention.

“This is our new transfer student, we had him come in a bit later because he wasn’t feeling well. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the class”?

Ren was so focused on the whispers that hadn’t ceased despite his teacher’s best efforts, he could hear the rumours getting more and more out of hand. He felt a hand grab his shoulder softly and he flinched at the touch.

“Hey, are you ok?” the question had a lot of meaning behind it, there was no way she couldn’t hear the whispers as well, her face was telling Ren that it’d be ok to leave if he needed to. He felt calmer by the fact that at least one adult feels somewhat sorry for him. He took a deep breath as his classmates all backed away slightly. He swallowed his pride and bowed before the class.

“My name is Ren Amamiya, I hope we can have a good year” he lifted his head to see that no one was buying it, the rumours were already circulating and acting like the good boy was just going to be fighting a losing battle. Kawakami directed him to his seat in back and Ren just slumped slightly before walking towards it, painfully aware of the students either retracting in fear, or giving him less then subtle glares.

“Lies” he directed his attention to the girl who just said that, she was right in front of him and his desk. He saw the blonde twin tails and immediately recognised her. He wasn’t sure if that was directed at him or at the class but either way, Ren was too tired to make a big deal out of it.

“Fucking tell me about it” he muttered louder than what was probably necessary because as he sat down, he heard the class whispers start up again.

“Did you see that”?

“Do they know each other”?

“You think she’s cheating on Kamoshida with the transfer student”?

Ren quirked his eyebrow at that last comment. How anyone could find that man attractive was beyond him. He glanced at the girls back and noticed her stiffness, clearly, she was a victim of baseless rumours as well. He looked out the window and let out a long breath.

‘This is gonna be a long year’

When the final bell rang signalling for students to go home, Ren stood up from his chair and made his way to the door quickly, one perk of being an infamous transfer student was that nobody wanted to talk to him and take up any of his time. As he left the classroom closing the door behind him, he bumped into Kawakami.

“Amamiya-san, do you have a moment”?

Ren wanted to say he didn’t, he really wanted to leave and get back so he could rest. But he knew that alienating the one adult that is some-what nice to him would be a bad choice in the long run.

“Sure, Kawakami sensei, what do you need”?

She looked surprised by his obedience “I heard you were hanging out with Sakamoto before school today, care to explain” Ren could hear her opinion on his new friend in her voice, it was clear that the faculty didn’t care for him all too much. He just shrugged at her loaded question.

“Nothing much to say, I was lost and I bumped into him on the way, said he slept in and helped me find my way to school” It was obvious that she didn’t believe the story but also saw that Ren had no intention of elaborating any further. She just let out a long sigh, wondering how the boy in front of her and the meek looking boy she met in the principal’s office yesterday was the same person.

“Listen, he’s a troublemaker and for your sake I wouldn’t associate yourself with him”

As if on cue, Ryuji came up behind Ren.

“Yo, how you feeling man”?

Kawakami folded her arms

“Well speak of the devil. Glad you could join us at school today Sakamoto-kun”

Ryuji frowned at the teacher, not particulary happy about the hostility behind her voice.

“No need to be so rude about it” he mumbled under his breath.

“Didn’t the guidance councillor want to see you?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m going” he started to walk past the two before leaning closer to Ren “meet me on the roof after your finished” and left.

Kawakami let out another sigh “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re free to go”

Ren started heading up the stairs towards the roof, making sure that no one was around or watching him. He had no doubt that the roof was off limits like most schools, and he didn’t want to give any credibility to the rumours. Though he was sure that credibility was the last thing on anyone’s mind when they were spreading them.

When he thought the coast was clear he headed up the last set of stairs and was standing in front of a closed door, he tried turning the handle, but it was locked. Ren grumbled to himself about Ryuji’s lack of preparation but then smirked to himself. Ryuji knew he could pick locks, so of course he’d walk to talk about what happened somewhere where no one would expect them to be.

“Maybe he’s smarter than I gave him credit for” Ren mused quietly as he grabbed the tools out of his bag. He managed to get the lock picked, it took longer than normal, most likely due to a lack of practice, not exactly the smartest thing to do when you’re on probation but Ren would be lying if wasn’t happy to have some privacy, he never did like being the centre of attention.

He walked out on the roof, moving a brick to keep the door open and to stop it from locking itself. He was sure he’d be able to pick it again if necessary, but he didn’t want to take the risk of getting trapped in a restricted area. He walked towards the fence facing the courtyard and saw several students heading home some walking by themselves playing on there phones, others walking with their friends probably chatting about what to do with their free time. He wondered if he could have been one of those students. Living an honest life without having to worry about it all ending with one stupid mistake. He turned back towards the roof, there were spare desks and chairs scattered across the area noticing a few potted plants. He pulled out a chair and sat down, it wasn’t long until the day’s events caught up with him and he decided to rest his head on table in front of him. If push came to shove, Ryuji would come wake him up.

His desire for sleep overruling his rationality as Ren drifted into slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

Makoto was not having a great day at Shujin academy. Endless requests from teachers and faculty left her feeling physically exhausted and the mountain of papers and documents from students and clubs in the student council room were eating away at her metal stability. Made even more arduous by a lack of a student council to help her. But she was used to this, it’s what came with the title of student council president. What didn’t come with said position was the more “personal” requests from the principle.

“I have been informed that our new transfer student is already acting out. Coming to school late, interacting with Sakamoto and even threatening Kamoshida.”

Makoto stood patiently while listening, she knew that Principle Kobayakawa would tell her when she was allowed to ask questions and did not enjoy when people interrupted him. He rambled on about how Ren should have been “easy PR” and how he should “know just how lucky he was” before finishing and looking to Makato, the cue for her to ask the question he probably already knew was coming.

“Sir, with all due respect, What does this have to do with me” and that’s when his mischievous smile grew on his face, every time she saw that smile she could feel her stomach drop, because it always meant he was going to ask something ridiculous of her.

“I want you to go and find Amamiya after classes finish and reprimand him. I’d do it myself, but I get the feeling having an adult tell him off would just drive him further down the wrong path.”

She stared at him slack jawed, he’s asked her to do a number of downright stupid tasks but telling her to lecture a criminal on his behalf was just about top of the list.

“I feel like that’s a very bad idea sir, what makes you think he’ll listen to me anyway”

The principle just shrugged at her question.

“I didn’t ask for you opinion Nijima-san, just imagine though how good helping reform a criminal will look on your recommendation letter”

And there it was, the only real reason she went along with these requests. Her college recommendation letter, it was always his go-to threat and whenever she tried to ignore it, he’d bring up her sister and she’d crumple.

“So, I can expect you to take care of this matter right Nijima-san?”

She nodded at the rhetoric question before leaving the room with her fists clenched. Ren Amamiya hadn’t even been here a day and he was already causing her trouble.

After the final bell had rung, Makato made her way to his classroom. She opened the door to see no familiar mop of unruly raven hair. She walked over to Kawakami who was packing away papers.

“Sensei, have you seen Amamiya kun around?”

Makato could see her shoulders drop as she mentioned his name.

“I had a talk with him a few minutes earlier, it didn’t seem like he was planning on leaving the school after he saw Sakamoto-kun if that helps”

Makato thanked her before leaving the classroom, she huffed, annoyed that her investigation was already reaching a dead end. She walked up the stairs to check the third-floor library before she overheard a couple of students talking to each other.

“Hey, wasn’t that the transfer student that just went up to the roof.?”

“You mean the one with a criminal record? I wonder if he’s got a secret stash of weapons or drugs up there”

The girls continued leaving Makato stunned. How on earth did these two know about his record. The only people in the school who should know about that are her and the staff. She made her way up the stairs to the roof. She knew it was meant to be locked but she didn’t have any other leads. Much her surprise, the door was open, kept from closing with a loose brick.

She opened the door as quietly as possible, she didn’t know what to expect but she’d be lying if the fact that he had a record didn’t influence her ability to ignore the rumours. She felt silly with the sight she was greeted with. The same black hair she found somewhat attractive yesterday was now just a mop lying on a table. Of all things to suspect a criminal to be doing, taking a nap on the roof _after_ school had finished was bottom of the list.

She walked towards the sleeping boy with light steps, she didn’t know why she didn’t want to wake the boy up immediately, but she felt it was fair for him to get some rest. She was standing in front of him now and wasn’t sure what to do. The boy murmured something and shuffled slightly turning his head to reveal his face. She had to admit she really liked his face, its features soft and innocent looking. She hadn’t been able to see it very well the day before and when she did, she was so focused on the emotions held within his eyes that she didn’t take in much of the rest of his face.

She felt conflicted, a part of her wanted to wake him up, tell him off for coming in so late and napping on the roof. But another part of her kind of wanted her to pull up a chair and just study him, sure he had caused her trouble but not by his own volition and she was sure that now that his record had been leaked, he’d be grateful for any sort or reprieve.

A strong gust of wind blew through the area and rustled his hair, moving it to one side to reveal his ear, she noticed there were holes in them, signs of piercings, not big and eye catching like the spacers she’s seen online, but they were big enough to show that he at least used to wear earrings. She wondered why he wasn’t wearing them right now.

“You know, you should buy a guy dinner first before you rub their ear” Makoto froze as she looked at the now awake Ren Amamiya who was staring at her with drowsy eyes and a half-cocked smirk. Her eyes followed her arm down to her hand, which had apparently interpreted her curiosity as a sign to carefully rub his ear lobe.

Ren wasn’t expecting to get such a decent sleep on the roof top of Shujin, yet he was out like a light. His dreams were hazy, a far cry from the nights prior where he was constantly reliving the night he got arrested, or the arguments he had with his father and the time he met Igor and his new wardens did little for him in terms of meaningful rest. But as he laid his head down on the table and listed to the dull murmurs of students going about their daily lives, completely oblivious of his existence at that point of time, only for that noise to be overshadowed by the cool wind. He managed to calm his body and mind. As he fell into a deep slumber, he dreamed of his mothers. Moments of there life that Ren cherished, going to beach with her. Drawing with her. Crying to her when times got tough. In every situation, she was there, providing a comforting warmth, and laying a cool hand on his head letting him know everything was all right.

When he woke up, he was anticipating the loneliness that came with knowing it was a dream, and the disappointment of knowing he was alone. But it didn’t come, the cool feeling of a hand on his head, and the warmth that came from another person offset the chilly breeze. He peered up at the girl from yesterday, a girl he had judged as just being a tool used by adults was giving him a comfort he had grown used to no longer having. He was content with just letting her continue believing he was asleep, but he knew that Ryuji would be coming any moment and as much as he enjoyed her company. What they were about to discuss didn’t involve her, and with how close to death they may have come earlier, he had no plan to involve her.

The blush and squeak that came from revealing himself was almost as satisfying as letting her play with his ear had been. Almost.

“I- I- I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing. And you were fast asleep. But that doesn’t make it okay to just touch someone and I was just coming to tell you something but then the door was open and- and- and-“ She just stared at him as he slowly stood up and stretched his limbs, rubbing the drowsiness out of his eyes and flashing her another smirk as he caught watching. The memory of his voice earlier. Husky from sleep replayed in her mind and she turned a deeper shade of red.

She was silent for a moment until she suddenly bowed “Please make sure you get home safe” and then turned and raced off the roof and down the stairs. Leaving Ren to chuckle to himself. ‘I’m gonna have fun teasing her’ he thought as he sat down in his seat, this time opting to just messing around on his phone as he waited for Ryuji.

He wasn’t waiting long as he soon appeared waving to Ren as he walked over to grab a seat of his own.

“Yo, got any clue why miss student prez was rushing through the school red as a beet muttering something about ears”? Ren couldn’t contain his laughter as he imagined the sight. After he calmed down, he just shrugged at Ryuji.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow at his friend’s silence but didn’t press any further. Knowing that it was probably none of his business anyway.

“So about earlier” Ryuji muttered the words quietly and both the boy’s faces got serious. Ren just sighed and rubbed his head.

“Do you think all of that was real” He asked more to himself then Ren.

“I don’t know, if it was just me then I’d say no but it’s unlikely both of us hallucinated the exact same thing”.

Ryuji nodded at his reasoning “Yeah, but then why did Kamoshida not react at all? And why was the school normal the second time round”? Ren went quiet as he mulled over the facts they had, he groaned in frustration and ruffled his hair, they didn’t have enough information to make any sort of guesses.

Ryuji just sighed and stood up. “Maybe we should just forget about it. I mean, if everything’s normal now then there’s no real point on theory crafting about it” Ren nodded in agreement and stood up as well. They were getting prepared to leave when Ryuji interrupted.

“Also, I’m sure you already sort of know but someone leaked your record on the school forum” Ren huffed. While he had already assumed something like that happened, it didn’t make it sting any less, he hated that he wasn’t even given the chance to try and do good. All his control had been taken away from him.

Ren looked at Ryuji and asked with a genuine curiosity “And what do you think”? The question left a lump in his throat, he had spent the last month dealing with this whole thing by himself, being told to act like something he wasn’t and now the first person to like him for who he was might be too scared to associate with him. Ryuji walked up to Ren and patted him on the back. Hard. So hard it knocked the wind out of his lungs. Ren glared at the blonde boy, but his expression softened at the sight of Ryuji’s grin “Dude, you saved my ass earlier, no way am I gonna turn around and ditch you just because of a record. You and I are best buds from here on out” Ren couldn’t hide the surprise on his face at his new friends’ words. He smiled and stood up, catching his breath he turned to Ryuji with his arm extended and fist clenched loosely.

“Thank you Ryuji, that means a lot”

Ryuji just beamed at Ren and raised his own fist to bump against Ren’s


	7. Chapter 7

Ren woke up in his cell. The cold feel of the hard mattress was hurting his back, he swung his legs off the bed and stood. As soon as his feet hit the floor, a ball and chain materialised around his ankle. He shimmied his way towards the cell and was greeted by a familiar face. Or more appropriately, a familiar nose.

“You’ve done well trickster” the deep voice reverberated through the entire prison “You’ve taken the first step towards your rehabilitation, awakening the power of your persona”

Ren just glared at Igor.

“Are you going to actually explain what the hell is going on yet” a loud bang startled Ren causing him to retreat from the bars of his cell.

“Silence inmate, you do not get to ask our master questions”

“It seems we must teach him basic manners”

Ren sighed as he was berated by his twin wardens Justine and Caroline, respectively. He once again walked towards the cells and ignored their warnings talking directly to Igor.

“Cut the shit Igor, what was that castle.” Igor just sat there, tapping his fingers against his desk, that unsettling grin never wavering on his face.

“That is not my duty to explain, but that place will be of great importance.” A siren rang through out the space, the sound piercing Ren’s ears causing to him drop to his knees.

“One last thing trickster, I have another gift to help aid you on your journey” with a snap of his fingers a blinding white light clouded Ren’s vision, the brightness burning his retinas and he was sure for a moment he was about to go blind. The overwhelming sound and sight caused Ren to lose consciousness and as he came to, he was back in his bed in Leblanc.

Ren walked down the stairs to the downright intoxicating scent of curry and coffee. His stomach groaned as if it had a mind of its own making Sojiro chuckle as he stirred the pot. Ren was about to walk out before the sound of a plate caused him to stay put. He stared at the coffee and curry and looked up at Sojiro who stood behind the counter with a small smirk.

“Don’t get used to it, you looked exhausted yesterday, so I decided to make you breakfast. Sit down and eat” he turned around to check on his beans and Ren didn’t need any convincing as he sat down and took his first bite. The complex combinations of spices danced on his tongue and the tender meet melted away in his mouth. The coffee perfectly complimented the savoury flavour with its acidity and Ren began to wonder how long it had been since he ate a breakfast that was home made. After his mother had passed, his father started leaving for work earlier and earlier each day, it soon became routine for Ren to wake up to find money on the counter. He couldn’t supress the sad smile that came with the thought.

The trip to school was uneventful, no castles, no knights, no talking cats and thankfully no teachers in speedos. As he walked through the gates of Shujin academy, he could feel the eyes of hundreds of students staring at him, the whispers of his past following him throughout the entire school and they only seemed to get louder and more absurd as the day went on. It wasn’t until lunch when he was able to dash onto the roof that he felt like he could finally breathe. He wanted to scream but he knew that adding crazy on top of being a delinquent and a criminal would only bring more trouble than good.

“Yo, thought you’d be here” Ren turned to see his new friend smiling at him as he let the door close on the brick, his company helping Ren relax slightly “This is the one place where I don’t have to hear people talk about me behind my back”

Ryuji frowned “Tell me about it, it’s the only thing anyone’s talking about, it’s total bullshit. People are saying all sorts of things, Robbing people, murder, shaving a cop’s head” Ren didn’t respond as a guilty smile crossed his face. Ryuji stared at him as the realisation came to him.

“What?”

“That last one…might not be entirely false”

The blonde went quiet for a brief moment “You’re shitting me”

“In my defence, that cop was a dick. And he was already going bald, so I kinda just sped up the process”

Ryuji’s face went from confused, to shocked and then to laughing hysterically in a matter of seconds. The laughter was so infectious that Ren couldn’t help himself from joining in and soon both boys were gasping for breath. Ryuji wiped a tear from his eye as he struggled to talk “I knew there was something I liked about you. Thank god you didn’t turn out to be as meek as you looked when I first met you”

Ren grimaced at the memory of yesterday when he had felt so disgusted by himself for accepting the person, he thought he should have been in his father’s eyes. “There was a lot on my mind at that time. I wasn’t sure what I supposed to be doing or the type of person I should have been. But after the whole incident with the castle and my persona, everything became a bit clearer, like I knew that acting like anything but myself would just be wrong” Ryuji nodded, refraining from adding anything knowing that it was Ren’s duty to figure it out for himself. The atmosphere became slightly heavier and Ryuji decided it’d be a good time to bring up what he wanted to talk about.

“Hey man, I know we said we’d forget about the castle and everything. But what would you say if I said I want to try and go back”? Ren didn’t look at Ryuji with surprise or concern but rather with a strong resolution like he was having a similar thought.

“I’d ask why you want to go back”

Ryuji rubbed his neck “Well I didn’t say anything yesterday because of the situation we were in, but I happened to recognise some of the people trapped in those cells. I was just worried that they may have gotten trapped like we had”

Ren remained quiet for long time; Ryuji couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He sighed before giving Ryuji a tired smile. “I was thinking of trying to go back there myself. So, hearing you want to come with is actually a huge relief”

Ryuji let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding before giving his usual smile. “Thanks man, so we should probably meet up after school and figure out how to get back” Ren nodded, he stood up and started walking towards the door. Leaving Ryuji just sitting looking at him with a confused look.

“Where you going, lunch hasn’t ended-” but he was cut off by the bell. His confused face morphed into surprise before mild annoyance as he saw the smirk Ren was giving him. He stood up huffing out a breath.

“This is gonna be a thing isn’t it”?

Ren just responded with a small chuckle as he went back down the stairs.

The rest of the day went by without any drama before the final bell indicating it was time for students to go home. As students were preparing to leave Kawakami spoke up “Don’t forget that the volley ball rally is on tomorrow so make sure to bring your gym clothes” for the first time that day, the mutters and whispers weren’t about Ren, instead everyone was fawning over the idea of watching Kamoshida play volleyball.

He made his way out of the classroom and made his way towards the stairs. He could see two male students standing by them glaring at Ren. He sighed at the sight wondering how the school could tolerate a teacher making moves on a student and obvious bullying but apparently, he and Ryuji were the delinquents for coming late. He ignored the boys deciding that if they wanted to fight then they could wait until Ren could get off school property. He was halfway down the stairs when he felt a foot on his back. Suddenly his feet were in the air and he was falling to ground fast. If he had more time, Ren was sure he could have manoeuvred himself in such a way to minimise the damage but in his current situation with the ground fast approaching he’d have to settle with minimising the ‘serious’ injuries, he managed to rotate his body slightly and push his hand out, as he made contact with the floor, his wrist took the brunt of the force and his used the leverage to help roll his body across the ground avoiding any damage to his shoulder or head.

As he regained his sense and orientation, he looked up to find himself lying in front of Makoto. He could only flash her a less then convincing smile.

“Hey Nijima senpai, fancy meeting you here” he tried to push himself up but as he put pressure on his right hand, a sharp pain shot throughout his body, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid crying out in pain but managed to get himself standing. As he directed his focus back to Makato, he could see her glaring at the boys on the stairs that had pushed him. They were smiling proudly to themselves as they tried to subtly high five each-other.

“What the hell were you two thinking. You could have killed Amamiya-kun” everyone jumped at the sound of Makoto yelling. The two boys proud smile vanished as they realised who they just pissed off. They instead just looked at her with irritation at being accused.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about miss robot. He was just being and idiot and tried to jump down. Really, I can’t believe they allowed a moron like him to come to this school”

The look Ren saw on in Makoto’s ruby eyes made him nervous that she was about to set fire to the boys with the fury in her glare

“What the hell did you just say, you’re coming with me to the prin-” Ren grabbed her arm, wincing at the pain but choosing to ignore it.

“Forget about Nijima senpai, they’re right, I was just being an idiot” Ren gave the two boys a glare of his own, while Makoto’s had been burning with fury, the boy’s froze at the sight of Ren’s, a cold glare that sent shivers down there spines, as if they were looking at a hungry lion. The two boys scurried up the stairs.

Makoto stared at Ren incredulously, she couldn’t understand how he was being so calm about what had just happened, he had just been assaulted, in a school no less, the place designed to help children. She was prepared to yell at him before she noticed the pained expression he was wearing and saw the way he was cradling his right wrist. She cursed herself for not noticing that he got hurt from such a rough landing. She made sure to grab his left wrist and started dragging him away from the area towards the nurse’s office to help his wrist and to get them away from the surrounding crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I like how this story is going. But I'm going to take a few days to write out a few chapter because I think I've been trying to get them out daily because a lot of people have been reading and that's causing a dip in quality. If any one has any feed back then I'd love to hear it.


	8. Chapter 8

Ren couldn’t say that he hated being dragged by Makoto, after yesterday he realised that maybe she did just want to be a good person and help him out. And the way she reacted to him getting hurt made him reconsider the offer for tutorage. But he also realised that Ryuji would be waiting for him and the last thing he wanted was for the boy to wander back to the castle without any way to protect himself. The possibility of Morgana being there was somewhat reassuring, but Ren wasn’t sure how much the cat could be trusted. Not yet at least.

“Nijima senpai, would you mind letting go of my wrist. I’m fine really” she didn’t listen to him as they continued down the hall towards the infirmary. When they reached the door, she let go of his wrist and turned to face him crossing her arms.

“I’ll let you go if you open the door” Ren raised his eyebrow at her request, he could tell what type of game she was playing. He reached for the handle with his right hand knowing that if he could just grit through the pain, she’d have no basis for making him stay. He grabbed the handle and tried to slide the door. He didn’t anticipate the door being locked and thus used to much force. The act of pulling against it caused a wave of pain to roll through his risk and he couldn’t stop himself from clutching it in an attempt to dull the throbbing,

He looked at Makoto as she stood with her arms still crossed and her head cocked to the side. She wasn’t smiling or laughing at his pain, but he could feel her pride at outsmarting him as she pulled out a key and unlocked the sliding door.

_Tch_

She stared at him. The way her ruby eyes bore into him made him audibly gulp.

“Did you just click your tongue at me”

He could feel his neck sweating, but he refused to concede to her so easily. He returned her stare with a smirk as he walked past her into the infirmary.

“I think you’re hearing things Prez”

She followed him in shaking her head slightly. He sat down on the bed and looked around the room. Not surprised that no one was present considering the door had been locked. He watched as Makoto grabbed a first aid kit and stood in front of him with an open palm.

“A bit scandalous to hold hands with a criminal isn’t it”?

She smiled slightly at his joke but retained her serious face. He could tell she was still annoyed that he stopped her from trying to punish the boys. He sighed as he gave her his right wrist. She felt around his wrist touching parts and looking for his reaction. Had it been someone else, he may have let his pride get the better of him and tried to hide the pain but he felt the resisting Makoto’s help any further would just waste more time for him then her. The memory of her rubbing his ear gently the previous day also helped him open up slightly.

After a bit more prodding, she started wrapping his hand in a bandage, making sure it was tight and well supported.

“It’s probably just sprained, but you’d do well to get it examined by an actual doctor. Best I can say is that it’s not broken”

An awkward silence fell between the two. Ren had wanted to meet up with Ryuji quickly to make sure his blonde friend wasn’t doing anything reckless, but he didn’t want to leave any bad blood between him and her.

“Thank you, Makoto” he saw her shift slightly at being called by her first name, he made a mental note of that for later teasing before continuing. “Not just for helping me with my wrist, but for standing up for me. It meant a lot” she sighed relaxing her shoulders slightly.

“You should report them to the principle or a teacher. Just because you have a record doesn’t mean you should have to worry about your health” Ren smiled at her compassion and reasoning. He could tell she was a good person who trusted people a bit too much.

“Maybe if I were someone like you then that’d be an option. But with my reputation. They’d at best look the other way and let it end there. At worst they’d pin the blame on me and that would just paint a bigger target on my back”

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly.

“What do you mean someone like me?”

Ren laughed lightly at her resistance.

“Let’s be honest here Nijima senpai, You’re the student council president and an honour student. If anything were to happen to you, the school would suffer the most. I on the other hand am expendable. Whether I get ‘reformed’ as they would put it doesn’t really matter. I either become good publicity for them. Or just another nameless student to ignore”

Makoto wanted to argue with him, but she felt like she couldn’t in good faith. She knew that what he was saying had some truth behind it. If it were her who was kicked off the stairs, Kobayakawa would definitely reprimand the two boys and assure her that they would be punished. Because he knew that if she was happy then she’d be willing to help him more often. But if Ren was the one who asked him to do something, she could imagine him being told that he needs to keep his head down and avoid trouble and the two boys would get off with a slap to the wrist. She could feel herself shaking slightly at the injustice between the two. Makoto has had three years to build up her reputation while Ren hadn’t been here two days and yet was treated like he’s been an infamous criminal for years.

Ren noticed her confliction and stood up. He didn’t like seeing her like this, he much preferred the curious and compassionate girl. And he very much preferred the girl who could set forest fires with her glare. He walked towards her.

“Makoto, it’s fine really. I have experience being an outcast, and I have a friend who likes me for me despite my record. And I feel a lot better knowing the even the student council president cares about me enough to get so angry on my behalf” he gave her as pure as a smile as he could before walking past her outside. He felt like she needed time to figure things out and he was nervous that Ryuji was about to start asking for directions to the nearest castle.

“Hey man, what took you so long?” Ryuji was waiting by the gate as he spied Ren walking down the stairs. Ren just shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to act casual. Ryuji saw his bandaged wrist and frowned. “You good? We can do this later if your hurt” Ren shook his head slightly.

“I’m fine, just tripped and landed on it funny. So where should we start?” Ryuji looked like he wasn’t buying the story but didn’t press him.

“Why don’t we try retracing our steps from yesterday and see what happens” the boys nodded in agreement and started following the same route they took the previous day. The first attempt just led them back to school. They tried 3 more times until both the boys were frustrated. Ryuji because it wasn’t working and Ren because he was getting tired of walking.

“How the hell are you not tired” Ren asked through ragged breaths. Ryuji who wasn’t showing any signs on exhaustions replied somewhat quietly.

“I used to be on the track team”

“I didn’t know Shujin has track team”

“It _had_ a track team”

Ren recognised the tone of Ryuji’s voice. It was a sign that he didn’t want to any more and Ren was fine with just leaving it there. He understood better then anyone that there are things you just don’t want to share. Ren managed to catch his breath and stood up straighter.

“So got any other ideas because I don’t think this is gonna work”

The two went quiet as they mulled over any possible methods. Ryuji broke the silence with his idea.

“Why don’t we see if there are any castles on google maps” Ren just stared at the blonde boy as he threw his hands up in defence.

“You got any better ideas”

Ren sighed in defeat because he didn’t. He was more annoyed that Igor had directly told him the castle was important but didn’t give him any clues on how to get back. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it as Ryuji stared over his shoulder.

“Hey what’s that weird looking app at the bottom” Ren stared at the app Ryuji had pointed out. It was the same red eye from when he first arrived in Tokyo. Memories of that day played in his mind, the world had drained of colour and a face appeared in a column of fire.

Blue fire.

Ren opened the app quickly and as it loaded, he half prepared himself for another event similar to the first but instead it just showed an odd navigation app. Suddenly his phone wasn’t in his hand anymore and the blonde who was behind him was standing in front of him.

“Dude I’ve never seen an app like this. And there’s a history. Look it says Kamoshida”

Ren walked next the blonde to get a better look at the app but before he could see what he was talking about. The world began to distort, and Ren could feel his stomach turn as if he had vertigo. In an attempt to reorientate himself he closed his eyes and waited for his stomach to settle. After a moment he opened his eyes to be greeted by a familiar castle and green looking Ryuji.

“Oh god I’m gonna puke”

He ran behind a bush and the sounds of retching filled the air. Ren stood with his arms crossed as he waited for Ryuji to come back. The blonde eventually managed to empty his stomach and staggered back over to Ren. He looked him up and down with a surprised look on his face.

“Dude your clothes changed again”

Ren looked down to see his three forked coat and red gloves.

“You jealous?”

“You like it? You’re weird”

Ren just smirked at the boy.

“You’re definitely jealous”

“Why are you two back here”

The two looked around trying to see where the voice came from, both remembering the similar situation and looked down to find Morgana staring at them.

“Hey look, the cats back”

Morgana glared at Ryuji before yelling “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not a cat”! Ren covered his ears at the cats screeching. “Tell me about it, loudest fucking cat I’ve ever seen”

Morgana turned his glare to Ren before dropping it and sighing. “So why are you two idiots back here” Ryuji stared at Ren as if waiting for permission, which he just gave in the form of a casual shrug.

“We saw something weird yesterday and we needed to check it out”

Morgana stared at the two with his eyes wide open.

“You two want to go back in there.”

Ren stepped forward to take over negotiations knowing that Ryuji would just piss of the cat at some point.

“Yeah and we could use your help as well morgana, you know how to get back to dungeons right?”

The cat looked up at him. He could tell that he was trying to figure out a way so this would benefit him which made Ren feel a bit annoyed, but he knew that they didn’t have much of a choice. Ren didn’t know enough about this other reality to go in by himself and he wouldn’t be able to protect Ryuji if he was busy exploring. After a moment, the cat had a mischievous smile.

“Mwhehe, I’m sure we could strike up a deal, I’ll help you get to the dungeon if your willing to help me complete my mission”

Ren looked down at Morgana with a slight glare.

“What’s your mission”?

The cat continued to smile “I’ll tell you later, so do we have a deal”

Ren’s glare hardened, he hated not having all the facts. He mumbled under his breath “Fucking Cheshire cat”

He sighed and rubbed his head before speaking at an audible volume “Fine but only if you explain to us what all of this is” he motioned the castle in front of them”

Morgana gave that strange laugh again.

“That’s simple. This is called the metaverse. The castle behind me is called a palace. They’re formed when a person has extremely distorted desires. Think of it as the cognitive version of the place in reality”

Ren rubbed his chin at the explanation. He was sure Ryuji was probably lost so decided to elaborate.

“So, you’re saying that this castle is how Kamoshida views the school in reality. And the fact that thid palace exists means he has very distorted desires. Does that mean that the Kamoshida in there isn’t the real Kamoshida”?

The cat looked surprised by how concise Ren was being

“Pretty much, that’s the shadow version of the guy you’re talking about. It’s his true self so to speak. The person who embodies his true desire”

Ren could hear Ryuji mumble behind him “So the guy really is a sicko” Ren nodded at the idea not sure if Ryuji was even looking at him. Morgana stared at the two and could sense their distaste.

“Any other question before we go”

Ren looked down at his outfit and smiled

“Wanna explain why my clothes keep changing.

The cat smirked at Ren’s appreciation of his new clothes.

“Think of them as your sign of rebellion. It hides your identity to make it easier to act as your true self. Every good thief needs to look the part”

Ren’s smile turned into a cocky smirk as he started walking toward the vent they had previously used to escape, eager to experience that feeling of freedom he felt the first time he awakened his persona.

He turned back to the two who were just staring at him.

“Well, you two coming”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been my favorite chapter to write. So I hope you all enjoy it as well.

The three made there way through the palace, Morgana and Ren took the lead with Ryuji watching out behind them. The route they had used to escape previously was now swarming with Knights. Which meant that they had to take an alternate one, but Ren was okay with it as it gave Morgana more time to explain the basics to them. Apparently, the knights were called shadows, which are drawn to corrupted desires and when engaged in combat will take the form of mythical creatures.

Things were going smoothly as they continued towards the dungeons until they walked into one particular room, as the explored it Ren could feel his eyes starting to burn. The pain was excruciating, and he had to cover his eyes with his hands in an attempt to block as much light as possible.

“Dude! What’s wrong? Ryuji’s concern sounded muffled as if he were talking through water. When the burning had subsided, he managed to open his eyes slightly. The world was dark and for a brief moment he thought he had gone blind but as he rubbed his eyes, things gradually came back into focus, it wasn’t that the world was dark, it was simply duller. He looked at Ryuji and Morgana and noticed they had a green haze surrounding them. Ren rubbed his eyes once more just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, but they continued the shine green. He managed to get back to his feet with Ryuji helping him up. He looked around the room and could see a few areas shining bright gold, he walked towards them as his companions stared at him warily.

He stood in front of a set of three vases, they looked decorative, but Ren could see something in the middle one. With the back of his knife held in his left hand, he bashed the top cracking it open. Morgana hissed at him.

“What are you doing moron, are you trying to draw attention to us”

Ren just gave him a raised eyebrow as he smirked slightly. He reached into the vase and pulled out a gold necklace that was encrusted with jewels of different varieties. Ryuji walked up beside him to take the necklace.

“Duuuude, this has got to be worth a fortune. You think the other ones have something in them” Ren shook his head. “I don’t see anything in there.”

Ryuji looked at him incredulously.

“What do you mean ‘see’ they’re all closed”

Ren rested his chin on his fingers as he thought about how to respond. He wasn’t sure if this was the work of Igor, but it was the most likely theory considering Morgana didn’t seem to have this ability. That just raised the question on whether he should tell them about the velvet room and everything else. He opted against it. Not until he had more information to work with and share,

“I’m not sure, After I felt my eyes burning, I looked at you guys and saw you had a faint glow, then I saw a gold light coming from the middle vase. Could be an ability from my persona or something else”

He looked back to Morgana who had been incredibly quiet. He looked confused but it wasn’t directed at any one or anything in particularly. The cat seemed to snap out of it before asking him.

“Do you still see the glow”

Ren nodded in confirmation.

“Can you turn it off”

Ren closed his eyes and willed it off. He opened them up and the world returned back to it normal view. As normal as a cognitive castle could look at least. Both Ren and Morgana smiled at what this meant. They now had a direct advantage in gathering intel. Ryuji saw their criminal smiles and sighed to himself.

“I don’t know if I’m more creeped out that your smiling like the cat or the cat is smiling like you”

The three continued through the castle with the two arguing about whether Morgana was or wasn’t a cat and Ren regretting now bringing something to help his now growing headache. Equal parts caused by the strain of using his new third eye and the two bickering.

They managed to navigate down to the dungeons without having to fight any shadows. Ren had to admit he was slightly disappointed, itching for a chance to call Arsene into action. They were hiding behind a wall as they stared at a large shadow guarding a door, all three could hear screams of pain from behind it. Morgana and Ren were planning on how to best deal with the guard when Ryuji chimed in.

“Hey guys, I can help. Look what I brought” The two eyed him curiously as he pulled out a model gun from his bag. Ren didn’t look impressed.

“That’s not a real gun you know”

Ryuji just beamed a smile at his scepticism.

“Yeah but It looks legit right. So, it might scare them”

Ren was about to ask Ryuji how he planned to intimidate cognitive versions of mythological creatures when he was cut off by Morgana’s weird laugh.

“Maybe you aren’t so useless Ryuji, give it to Ren”

Both boys stared at the cat completely confused.

“Um, it’s not real and he has a knife, so how would it help him”

The cat just continued to laugh.

“Don’t forget that this is a cognitive world. So, if it looks real enough then the shadows will perceive it as real. But I guess seeing is believing so give it to Ren”

Ryuji pouted slightly as he handed his model over to Ren. He was surprised by how heavy it felt, he expected it to feel light and flimsy, but the heft made him think it really had metal in it.

“Ryuji, what is this made of”?

“I mean it’s a model so It’s plastic”

Ren just smiled mischievously as what Morgana had said clicked in his head. Without warning he walked out in front of the shadow who quickly reacted to his presence.

“Halt, who dares walk into King Kamoshida’s training grou-”

Bang

The knight quickly crumpled into as Ren held the gun in his left hand, the barrel smoking slightly from the miniature explosion within.

“Holy crap, it actually fired”

Ren kept his smile as he faced the blonde. “Ryuji, you are showing me where you got this gun from when we get out of here”

Ryuji smiled at his friend’s jovial grin like he was a parent watching his kid open presents on Christmas. The three proceeded through the door and the two boys grimaced at the sight. Several cells lined together showing students from Shujin being tortured in unusual volleyball practices. Ranging from people being made to run for eternity with no water to just straight up being pelted by volley balls. Ryuji kicked the cell bars hard enough to set dust and rust flying off.

“Dammit that son of a bitch, this isn’t practice, it’s just abuse.” Ryuji growled as he went about trying to open the cells, when the doors wouldn’t budge he turned to Ren.

“You think you can pick the locks?” Ren nodded, if they were similar to the cells yesterday then it shouldn’t be too difficult. Although he wasn’t sure how he was going to get his tools now that his bag was no where to be found. He started walking toward the door until Morgana stopped him with his question.

“Wait, you’re going to try and free them?”

Ryuji looked annoyed at the obvious question “Well yeah, we can’t just leave them here”

Ren almost laughed at the sight of Morgana rubbing his furrowed brow like a teacher scolding a student “You don’t get it do you, this is a cognitive reality. Those aren’t real people, freeing them wouldn’t do anything”.

Ryuji felt conflicted leaving them to suffer even if they weren’t real. He ruffled his short hair and growled at his own powerlessness. “Fine, then just give me a second to look at them so I can remember there faces. We’ll ask them about the abuse in the real world” Ren nodded in agreement, even though he didn’t care much for his fellow students. He didn’t like the feeling of letting them just get abused.

After Ryuji had finished memorising the student’s face’s they were preparing for the journey back when a siren rang throughout the castle. Ren used his third eye to scan the hallway to see Shadows coming in from the door.

“Morgana, we have shadows coming in. Ryuji take cover and get ready to run. I think they’re on to us” the two nodded at his directions and while he didn’t want to admit it, He was eager to get some action. He rushed forward with Morgana summoning Zorro behind him. Two knights entered and dissolved into the Pyro Jacks. He felt a small whirlwind in front of him separating the two and Ren summoned Arsene. He dashed to the shadow on the left as it started to raise, he leapt into the air and kicked the pumpkin like a soccer ball. As it crashed against the wall it popped into dust. Behind him Arsene stomped the pumpkin into the ground, Arsene faded away as Ren turned back to the two.

“Let’s go” he didn’t wait for them to nod or say anything as he started leading them out, he had the route somewhat memorised from following Morgana and his Third eye would help them avoid any unnecessary fights. As they went forward, they had to start taking alternate routes because some rooms were filled to the brim with shadows. They eventually found themselves in the main entry way. Ryuji and Ren tried opening the doors but couldn’t get them to budge.

“Well look what we have here. The trash from yesterday decided to come back” the two boys stiffened at the sound of the gym teachers voice. They turned around to see him at the top of the stairs surrounded by shadows.

“We need to go now” Morgana mumbled under his breath in an attempt to not alert him.

“Where do we go, the door’s locked”

Ren looked around with his third eye. He saw the door to their left and the blue haze that covered it. He nudged Ryuji subtly as he nodded in the direction of the door. He assumed Ryuji understood from the look on his face. A couple seconds passed and the three started dashing towards it. Only to be blocked by a shadow that appeared out of the ground.

“Well that just doesn’t seem fair” Ren half joked as he and Morgana took up a defensive stance. Only then did he realise Ryuji hadn’t followed them as he stood where he was, clutching his right leg. A gold knight charged towards Ryuji and Ren dashed back, he only had barely enough time to draw his knife and intercept the knights path, the knight raised its sword and Ren had no choice but to block it to make sure Ryuji wasn’t caught in the collateral damage. The moment the blades connected Ren could feel his wrist explode in pain from the weight and with the light headedness that came with using his third eye too much made him too slow to react to the shield that bashed him from the side sending him sprawling across the floor.

He tried to prop himself back up but was shoved back down by a knight pinning him against the floor with his shield. He saw Morgana had been sent flying into the middle and was being stepped on by Kamoshida while Ryuji was on his knees.

“I bet this was all your idea Sakamoto wasn’t it. You always tended to rush head on into things.” He stepped heavily on Morgana causing the cat the cry in pain “How dare you go against me, have you already forgotten my generosity when I helped coach the track team”

Ryuji nodded in disbelief “That wasn’t coaching, that was torture because you didn’t like us”

Kamoshida just smiled cruelly at the blonde “You should have known your place, but you had to resist it and look what happened. You had your leg broken and the team disbanded because of your recklessness. Now watch as your new friends get punished for you stupidity once again”

Ryuji started bashing the ground in frustration “Dammit, am I going to lose again”

“What the fuck are you doing Ryuji!”

Everyone turned towards Ren as he shouted “Are you just gonna sit there and let him get his way. Are you that fucking spineless that you’ll just submit? Where’s the guy from yesterday who tackled a knight to help someone he only just met”

Kamoshida just glared at the boy before smiling coyly “Scum should know their place, now watch as your friends die”

“You’re wrong” Kamoshida’s smile dropped as he watched Ryuji pick himself back up. “All you think about is using people. You’re the true scumbag Kamoshida”

“So, stop looking down on me. WITH THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!”

Ryuji grasped his head as he felt a voice speak in his mind. The sound reverberating within his head making his skull feel like it was about to split open.

“You made me wait quite a while. You seek power correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has already been disgraced, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? There is no turning back and thus the skull of rebellion will be your flag henceforth.”

With a puff of blue flame, a skull mask materialised on his face. He gripped it by the edges and knew in his heart what must be done. To toss away all his doubts and regrets. He ripped the mask off in one pull screaming as the blood rained on across the room. A gust of wind knocked the guards and Kamoshida back freeing Ren and Morgana. Revealing a skeletal pirate riding on top of a floating pirate ship. One arm replaced with a canon

“Another one?” Kamoshida muttered as he stood back up while trying to block the wind emanating from behind Ryuji. As he opened his eyes and stared down at his clothes, a black jacket covering knee and shoulder pads. Yellow gloves with knuckle guards. He held an iron pipe as he let a mischievous smirk grow on his face.

“This effin rocks. Wassup persona”

Ren couldn’t stop the smile as he watched his friend regain the confidence that he was used to seeing. Rolling his eyes, he walked up beside Ryuji draping an arm over his shoulder as Arsene appeared behind him.

“See what I mean about the clothes. They’re awesome right” He held out a fist that Ryuji gladly bumped.

Kamoshida panicked as he realised, he no longer held the advantage.

“Take them out. NOW!” The gold knight that had sent Ren flying earlier dissolved into a larger red armoured knight riding a horse.

Ryuji cracked his knuckles as he felt the fight begin. “Blast them away. Captain Kidd!” A canon ball shot out from his persona and barrelled towards the knight. Ren was close behind as the horse scrambled to dodge. As it landed Ren slid underneath. Using his knife to slice the tendons in the of the horse’s legs causing it to collapse under its weight. The knight noticed Ren beside him and brought his spear up into the air preparing to slam it on his head.

“Zio!” a bolt of lightning conducted through the spear to the knight’s armour. The Knight wasn’t able to move as its muscles were no doubt constricted from the electricity. Ren saw his opportunity and took it.

“Morgana, give me a boost” Ren started dashing away from the knight before turning around and sprinted right at it. He leapt into the air and could feel a gust of wind catch him from behind giving him both extra momentum and a leverage point to rotate his body. He barrelled into the knight with his legs kicking against its chest sending it flying. He landed on the horse who hadn’t recovered from its leg injury.

“Don’t worry, you won’t end up as glue” He drew his gun before emptying two bullets into the horse’s skulls causing the whole thing to dissipate. As he landed on the floor, he could see Ryuji bouncing his lead pipe on his shoulder as he stood over a pile of dust that had no doubt been a knight. The two smiled at each other before Ryuji felt his legs give out. Ren jogged over and gave him a shoulder to lean on.

“We need to go after that bastard” Ren laughed at his tenacity before directing Morgana to scout out their exit. “Easy champ, we’ll get him but you need to rest” the sound of Ryuji’s stomach grumbling filled the now empty room “correction, you need to eat” The two couldn’t contain their laughter as they made there way to the front of the castle.

After they were sure they weren’t being followed, Ren let Ryuji stand on his own. He turned to face Morgana who was looking at the two of them like a proud father.

“I can’t believe I found two persona users. That’ll make my job so much easier. Now onto my request”

The two boys stared at each other with tired eyes.

“About that Morgana. We’re gonna have to take a rain check on that mission for now”

Morgana’s mouth literally fell open. “Hey that wasn’t part of the deal. You owe me”

Ren gave the cat a sly smirk “And we will. Just not right now. Thanks again” He turned around and started to walk towards the drawbridge with Ryuji in tow.

“Hey, don’t just walk away from me. Tell me where you’re going”

Ren turned around and flashed him another coy smile “I’ll tell you later” and with that he left the cat slack jawed as he chuckled to himself.


	10. Chapter 10

The two were slurping Ramen in a comfortable silence. Both exhausted from the trip to the palace. Ryuji because he had just awoken his persona and Ren because he had become a human ragdoll. After they both filled their stomachs, they let out a sigh of relief now that they could somewhat relax. Ren looked at Ryuji and thought about his home, he wondered if he and Ryuji could have been friends if they met under different circumstances. Ryuji noticed Ren staring and raised an eyebrow as he started drinking the remaining broth.

“What’s up dude” it came muffled from the bowl and Ren just smiled at the brevity.

“So, the reason I’m in Tokyo in the first place” Ren spent the time slowly recounting the events that had led them to this moment. Everything from his history as a delinquent to helping the girl from a drunk man. How the whole thing had been rigged from the very beginning. After he was done a heavy silence filled the air. Only to be interrupted by Ryuji slamming his fist against the table. Ren would have jumped had he not expected this type of reaction.

“That’s effin bullshit. You didn’t do anything wrong and you’re the one who ends up getting a criminal record?” Ren smiled at his friends’ anger; he knew he made the right call by talking to him.

“Calm down, I didn’t tell you so you could get us kicked out” Ryuji noticed the stares they were receiving and blushed slightly before sitting back down. He huffed and crossed his arms to show he was still frustrated. His face softened as he asked.

“How can you be so calm about all of it. I’d be pissed” Ren put down his chopsticks and stared at his empty bowl trying to gather his thoughts in a way that properly convey how he felt. He realised that he hasn’t talked to anyone about his feelings in a long time.

“I’d be lying if I said I was fine. The night it happened I wasn’t really shocked, it felt like a long time coming honestly. So, when I was told I was being forced to live in Tokyo I wasn’t sure how to react. Should I remain who I was and repeat the same mistakes or should I listen to my dad and become a model student. Or should I just slip into the background and live a life of mundanity. Everything felt clouded”

Ryuji remained silent while staring at Ren to make sure he knew he was being listened to. Urging him to continue. Ren felt good knowing that someone was listening to him. “But then I met you, and then all this cognitive realty stuff happened, and when I saw my new clothes, felt the piercings in my ear and the power of my persona. It was like drinking water in the desert. Unbelievably refreshing. So right now, I think I’m going to be fine. I’m gonna keep being me regardless of who it pisses off” Ren flashed a heartfelt grin to Ryuji, and he felt like a little bit of the weight he had been carrying since arriving was taken off.

Ryuji smiled back at his new friend pumping his fist into the air “Hell yeah, screw those shitty adults”

They were quiet for a moment before Ryuji started fidgeting in his seat. “I guess I should explain my history with Kamoshida” Ren shook his head lightly “You don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable. I told you because I honestly just wanted to get it off my chest” Ryuji stared at Ren dumbstruck. He couldn’t believe the guy who looked like he was about to puke the first time they met and the guy who was doing flips in the air earlier were the same guy. He took a deep breath to steel his resolve.

“Last year Shujin had a track team. We weren’t amazing but we were fairly good. Won a few awards. Then one day they hired Kamoshida because he was an Olympic athlete. He was in charge of the volleyball team but he didn’t like that the school was splitting funds between the two teams so he offered to help coach the Track team” Ryuji scowled as he recalled past memories “It was awful. You couldn’t even call it training, he would have us run laps constantly without giving us any breaks or water. When we’d complain he’d add more laps and even harsher exercises that had nothing to do with Track. He’d talk shit about us and our personal lives. But we gritted through it because we wanted to win in spite of him” He went quiet, internally debating whether he wanted to continue, he looked at Ren who was giving him a small smile to show he could stop if he wanted to. He took another breath “Then one day he talked about my family situation. My dad was a drunken bastard who’d hit my mum, he compared me to that asshole, and I lost it. I tried to punch him, and he broke my leg. When it was taken to the school, he claimed self-defence. He got off Scott free and the track team got disbanded. I was so pissed at Kamoshida, but I was even more pissed at myself, because of me, those guys don’t even have a place to train anymore”.

Ryuji had his hands clenched underneath the table and was biting his lip in an attempt to stop himself from shaking. He was so focused on himself that he didn’t see Ren stand up slightly and lean over the table to flick him across the head. The sudden impact shocked Ryuji as he started rubbing his forehead.

Ren sat back down with a light-hearted smirk. “You were provoked Ryuji, set up. I won’t tell you that you shouldn’t feel guilty for what you did. That’d be hypercritical. But I don’t think what you did was wrong. Kamoshida is a bastard and we’ll get him to pay. So, no matter what, I’m with you through and through” he held up a fist over the table looking at Ryuji expectedly. Ryuji looked back unsure of how to react to what he had been told. He had spent so much time debating with himself what what he had done was a mistake, how’d he change it if he could and now he had this guy in front of him who he’s only known for two days convincing him otherwise. He couldn’t contain the joyous smile as he reached over and bumped his new best friends’ fist.

Ren woke up groggy. Yet another night’s rest interrupted by the man with a long nose congratulating him and being cryptic about everything else. He had made it clear that he’d assist Ren with his journey but not how he’d go about doing that and it was getting on his nerves. He got dressed for school being sure to pack his gym clothes when he came across his piercings. He held them in his hand. He frowned as he put them in drawer of his desk. While he relished having his piercings filled in the metaverse he didn’t feel like he earned the right to wear them in this reality

He made his way to school unable to get a seat on the train, he started looking at his phone in an attempt to pass the time when he overheard a couple of students.

“Hey, isn’t that her, the honour student”

Ren followed their line of sight and saw a head of bright red hair. He wondered how he could have missed such an eye-catching colour like that when the students continued their loud whisper.

“She’s so thin, it’s so unfair. I mean I have my hair in a ponytail.

“What does that have to do with being thin?”

Ren couldn’t contain the laughter that came in reaction to the comment. The two stared at him looking angry at being laughed at until they noticed who he was. He could see the sweat start to form on there face and Ren decided he would have a bit of fun. He slowly put on hand into his jacket pocket, making sure a visible bulge appeared. He smiled coyly at the two before quickly whipping his hand out in the shape of a finger gun. He grinned as he saw the girl yelp and the boy fall over.

He heard a giggle from behind and turned to see ponytail poorly containing her laughter. Ren smiled and faux blew the smoke from his finger before holstering it back into his pocket, going back to looking at his phone feeling a lot lighter then when he had woken up.

As he started walking up the stairs on his way to school, he was interrupted by ponytail running up behind him. He turned around.

“Senpai. I’m so sorry, I almost forget to thank you for earlier”

Ren raised he eyebrow quizzically, implying for her to elaborate.

“Oh, well, I noticed how you stopped those two as they were talking about me behind my back”

Ren shrugged his shoulders while continuing up the stairs “They weren’t exactly being subtle, And I’m not a big fan of the Shujin rumour mill”

The girl bowed “Regardless, it’s only right that I thank my senpai” she looked down at her watch before her eyes went big “Oh shoot, I’m late for morning practice, I’m sorry senpai but I need to go on ahead” She ran past Ren and disappeared over the stairs. Ren could only sigh with a small smile as he wondered where she could possibly get that amount of energy from as he made his way towards school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was debating whether I wanted to include the P5 royal story but I think I'll try, I want to play around with Ren and Goro's relationship. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story so far.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I both loved writing this and hated it so I hope you enjoy it.

Ren couldn’t understand how Shujin was regarded for its volleyball team. The game being played in front of him was a train wreck to put it nicely. Students with bruised hips and black eyes limping around the court in a desperate attempt to return spike after spike by Kamoshida. There form was terrible, and no one seemed like they enjoyed playing. The one exception being a brown-haired girl who was carrying the team.

After one nasty sounding spike that would have hurt if anyone tried to return it Ren could hear girls from his class talking to each other.

“Kamoshida look’s so hot when he hits the ball”

“I know right, He’s so good all covered in sweat”

Ren and Ryuji both gagged at the conversation they were being forced to listen to. After their episode Ren and Ryuji found themselves sitting on the floor watching the game with boredom in their eyes.

“Fucking bastard is using this entire rally to boost his own ego”

Ren nodded his head as he started looking at his phone. He was actually quite interested in volleyball, the idea of leaping into the air and slamming a ball sounded liberating before he could do all of that in the metaverse. But the game in front of him wasn’t volleyball. It was child abuse being glorified by the student body.

“So how are we gonna talk to the guys you saw yesterday” Ryuji frowned while rubbing his head in frustration.

“Well we’re stuck here until free time. I’d say we split up and talk them by ourselves. Might be more open if it’s just one of us”

Ren was apprehensive about the plan, neither him nor Ryuji had a good reputation, but he couldn’t argue, he hadn’t been able to come up with anything better.

As the day continued, the game got less and less interesting. The team was exhausted, and Ren could practically hear Kamoshida giggling from all of the attention. He stood up to stretch his legs as he saw Kamoshida leap into the air spiking the ball hard into a boy who wasn’t paying attention. He recognised him from his class, Yuuki Mishima, but didn’t know anything else about the boy. The ball collided with his face and was sent sailing into the air.

Ren stared at the ball, feeling as if the world around him was slowing down. He felt something deep in his stomach calling to him. Pushing him forward. Telling him to rebel. Was it Arsene or was it his own volition? Either way, Ren listened and felt his legs begin to sprint towards the court. Everyone had gone quiet at the sight of Mishima getting pelted in the face but now all eyes were on the criminal transfer student. He didn’t have a plan, something very unusual for Ren but he felt right as he stepped onto the court and used his right leg to propel himself into the air. From the corner of his eye he saw the girl from before, she had understood exactly what he was intending to do and gladly set the ball towards him. The world was still slow, if anything it became slower as the ball entered his sight and drifted in front of his hand. He stared down at Kamoshida who wore the same stare of disbelief as his shadow had when he unleashed his persona. The biggest grin came across his face as he brought his hand down on the ball. The sound cutting through the silence like a sonic boom before it crashed against the ground right next to Kamoshida and bouncing away.

Ren landed gracefully like he had done it a thousand times and looked around the Gym. He was greeted with stares of shock, awe and fear and he relished it. He looked to the brown hair girl who was giving him a warm smile much unlike the deadpan frustration she wore before. He looked to Kamoshida who was trying to remain calm, but his eyes burned with a fury that Ren knew came from being challenged in his own castle.

The words from his father that echoed in his mind since arriving in Tokyo had finally silenced. Only to be replaced by a warm arm on his shoulder almost pushing him to rub salt in the wounds. He pulled his hair back not caring about possibly revealing his piercings and smirked at Kamoshida.

“For an Olympian. You’re not great at receiving are you?”

The silence was almost deafening. The tension between the two so thick it could be cut by a knife. Only to be interrupted by 3 sets of laughter. The first coming from Ryuji who was doubled over on the side of the gym trying to contain it poorly. The second coming from the girl beside him who giggled softly before quieting down after receiving a glare from Kamoshida. Something Ren made sure to take note of and the last coming from his blonde classmate Takamaki-san.

Ren could feel the blood lust coming from Kamoshida and he wondered if anyone would try and stop him if he decided to deck Ren right then and there. And for what felt like first time in ages, the universe seemingly decided to cut Ren a break as the bell signalling the end of the rally rang. He quickly dashed out of gym with Ryuji following in tow. As he opened the doors, he decided to add a bit fuel to the fire that was the Shujin rumour mill. He spun around looking Kamoshida straight in the eyes and smirked as he flipped him off and ran through the door before any teacher could reprimand him or Kamoshida could strangle him.

Makoto never had trouble studying. She always had a schedule and made sure to stick to it no matter what. Whenever she was free in school, she’d spend her time in the library getting a head start on projects or revising tests. But ever since she met the infamous transfer student, she has been getting less and less productive. Memories of his sleeping face would cause her to blush and make it hard for her to focus.

Their conversation would play over and over in her mind as she tried to come up with counter arguments or reasons why he was wrong to distrust the school as much as he did. This in turn would distract her from her studies forcing her re-read the same line multiple times before it begrudgingly sunk in.

And now as she sat in the library finally able to focus on her books, she was getting distracted by the mumblings of other students sitting in the study booths. After this had gone on for several minutes only getting louder, she decided it was time to ask the students to leave. As she walked over to the study booth, she looked over their shoulders to see a familiar mop of black hair. Only this time it was on a phone, swaying in motion as the boy it was attached to was running. Her eyes became glued to the screen as she watched the boy run across the gym. She felt her mouth go agape as she saw him leap into the air and just stay there as if the laws of physics didn’t apply to him.

The students seemed to notice her presence as they quickly locked their phone and turned to apologise to her. She blushed slightly at being caught peeping before she regained her composure. Her original plan felt somewhat hypocritical considering she had just been caught watching the same video, so she settled for asking them to remain quiet. She went back to her table and opened her textbook but yet another thought kept distracting her. The image of Ren Amamiya leaping in the air with raven black feathers behind him.

“What do you know about my situation. Please just leave it alone, you’re just going to make more trouble for us”

Ren was starting to get annoyed with Mishima, he looked at Ren like he was about be stabbed but as soon as Ryuji tries to ask anything about Kamoshida he decides to grow a spine and stand up for himself in the worst way possible.

“Mishima, you’re not a volleyball player, why are you even on the team?”

He looked at Ren as if he had just slapped him and spit in his lunch and Ren didn’t believe for a second it was because he loved the sport. Not after he had seen how he played during the game _before_ he got hit in the face. When he noticed that Ren wasn’t going to back down or take back what he said he sighed.

“You just don’t get it, we’ve tried. We’ve told our parents and police, but the school just covers it up. Now please, just let me go”

Ren was about to argue and urge him to try again but his attention was drawn to the perverted king that rounded the corner staring at the three. He stared at Ryuji with contempt, Mishima with pity and the stare he shot at Ren could only be accurately described as downright murderous.

“Mishima, where are you going, training buildings this way”

All the rebellious spirit Mishima had when talking to Ryuji had been all but snuffed out. Ren was sure that If he didn’t have a skeleton stopping him, he’d have rolled himself into a ball.

“I’m actually not feeling too well Kamoshida-sensei. I was thinking of going home and getting some rest”

Kamoshida sighed as he shook his head in disappointment. “Well maybe you’re just not cut out for the team” Mishima stared at his feet like he was hoping the earth would open up and swallow him whole. When he figured that it wasn’t going to happen, he sighed heavily before walking past Kamoshida towards the gym. Kamoshida had a vile smile of amusement which changed into a frown of contempt as he stared at Ren. “Care to join us Amamiya-kun”

Ren smiled in response, dedicated to rebelling against the man as much as possible.

“I’d love to, but I can’t join any clubs because of my probation”

Kamoshida smiled at the thought of having a one up over the boy.

“Ah yes, such a shame your talent is wasted on the likes of you”

Ren noticed Ryuji tense up and knew he had to end this game quickly to avoid any physical altercations. So Ren decided to go for the killing blow with a smirk and shrug of his shoulders.

“I think it’s a bigger shame that they got the only talentless Olympian as a coach”

The air could have frozen over with the deathly stare Kamoshida was giving the boy, but Ren’s pride and inner rebellion was keeping him nice and toasty as he walked away with Ryuji quickly behind him. Before he opened the school door, he turned back to Kamoshida who hadn’t moved and inch.

“Oh, and in case you were too preoccupied missing my spike earlier. Have these again” Ren flipped the teacher off for the second time that day as he left the school chuckling to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I managed to get another chapter done, and it's longer then normal. Sorry about the delay but I think we're getting close to finishing all the character set up but I'm not exactly sure. I have a rough plan for the Kamoshida arc but after that is sorta just a pipe dream.
> 
> As always. any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Ren and Ryuji both groaned with what was probably a bit more melodrama then necessary. The two had spent the better part of their lunch trying to talk to any possible sources of information on Kamoshida and much like the previous day. Every single person they asked repeated the same tired excuse. Ren faceplanted into the desk with a loud thud as Ryuji started rocking back and forth on his chair.

“What are we gonna do? We have no evidence to convict that asshole.”

Ren didn’t respond. He just kept his head on the desk and tried to think about their options, he knew it had something to do with the metaverse, why else would Igor direct him towards it and give them a method to travel between the two worlds but what was the significance. The boys were taken away from their silence by the sound of a oddly familiar high pitched voice.

“I finally found you two”

The boy’s first reaction was to check the door in fear of being caught but when they saw it was still being held open only by a brick the two stared at each other. The feeling of Déjà vu spurring them to look at a lower elevation. Which rewarded them with a.

Cat

The two looked back to each other and back to the cat who was staring at them in bewilderment. An awkward silence hung in the air. Neither of the boys daring to ask the question most likely on both of their minds. Only they weren’t the one’s to break it. And in turn answered their biggest question at the same time.

“I know a way to deal with Kamoshida”

Ryuji was the first to react, by falling out of his chair and smacking his head hard against the concrete. He cursed many profanities while Ren just stared at the cat like he was expecting it to transform into the real Morgana, he thought that would somehow be better.

“What are you two idiots staring at?”

Ryuji looked at the cat with a glare on his face, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t know. The fact that there’s a talking cat in front of us”

“I’ve already told you I’m not a cat” the two could only stare in disbelief as he said that all while licking his private parts in a very cat like way. It took a moment for the realisation of what he was licking to set in and both boys looked away in disgust.

“Could you stop that dude. It’s weird”

The cat stopped abruptly and looked at the two with a disbelief equal to what they held. Before whispering to himself

“I wasn’t aware I was even doing that”

The cat quickly regained his senses and asked his question with a familiar bravado

“So, do you want a way to deal with Kamoshida or not”

The two boys stared at each other with suspicious eyes. Both of them were still trying to grasp the fact that talking cats apparently exist but that didn’t change the fact that they had hit a serious roadblock in the investigation and Morgana was the direct link to the Metaverse Ren had been looking for. Ryuji nodded to Ren seemingly assuring him that whatever call he makes he’ll be ok with it. Ren took a deep breath before turning to Morgana.

“Alright, speak cat”

Morgana glared at Ren but chose not to argue, he somewhat needed Ren for his plans. “Well if you steal Kamoshida’s treasure. He won’t have his distorted desires anymore and will most likely confess to his crimes”

Ren stared at Morgana expecting more but when the cat decided to be silent as if waiting for his congratulations Ren nearly gave into his urge to test if cats really do always land on their feet. He sighed before dragging his hand across his face.

He held up one finger to indicate his first question “What do you mean when you refer to Kamoshida’s treasure”

Morgana started licking himself again and Ren had half a mind to ask him to stop but needed answers more than peace of mind.

“Kamoshida’s palace was born from his desires. As they grew more and more distorted, his palace became more and more elaborate. So, it’s obvious that the desires came from something right. A catalyst of sorts. That’s what the treasure is”

That oddly made a lot of sense to Ren and he scorned himself for how used he’s gotten to all the things surrounding him. But he still needed some clarification before he agreed to anything a talking cat offered him.

“And this treasure is definitely in the castle”

Morgana was quiet for a second as Ren’s eyebrow raised as the time went on.

“Morgana?”

“Yes, it’s definitely in there, I can…feel it”

Had it come from anything else he might have laughed, but when it came from the cat he had met in the cognitive representation of his gym teachers mind. He could believe that feelings had some significance in that world. It didn’t make him any less sceptical.

He raised a second finger.

“What exactly would we need to do steal his treasure”?

Morgana explained the process of entering the metaverse and traveling through the castle to where the treasure would be stored. Most likely at the top and how they’d need secure a route to it. It all sounded too extravagant, Almost gamey and Ren worried that the Cat was sugar-coating the severity and dangers of said mission. After the cat had concluded it’s lecture about stealing treasure, it stared at Ren expectantly for a response. The only one Ren gave was a third finger indicating his final question.

“What do you mean ‘possibly’” Ren made sure to slowly articulate every word of the question to ensure that the cat understood the importance of it. Both Morgana and Ryuji gulped at Ren’s cold stare that made the wind blowing around them feel all the more chilly.

Morgana rubbed his paws against his neck and the sight was almost amusing had the answer given not made Ren’s stomach drop.

“Well, I’ve never done it before so it’s all speculation. That would be the best-case scenario”

Ren stared at the cat intently and Morgana could hear him ask the question without a single word being uttered.

“Worst case scenario. The guy might die”

Both the boys were quiet as the revelation sunk in. Ren stood up, partly because the bell was about to ring but also because he had to make himself look as intimidating as possible in case someone tried to argue with him.

“We’re not doing it” He looked to Ryuji who was nodding his head in agreement “Yeah I’m with Ren, I hate the guy, but I don’t want to kill him”

Morgana looked genuinely shocked by the speed of the decision and the decision itself. The cat frowned before huffing and shaking its head in disappointment.

“I thought you guys would be more willing, but I guess you’re just cowards. I’ll stick around for a while. Come find me if you change your minds”

Ryuji looked like he had wanted to argue about being called a coward, but the bell had managed to save Ren the headache. They grabbed their bags and started walking back to class. Ryuji spent the trip talking crap about the cat, but Ren paid no attention. His mind was being fully taxed by the overload of new information as he went about sorting it.

Ann and Shiho were sitting on a bench in the courtyard just eating their lunches in a peaceful quiet. A rare luxury for the two with everything that had been going on lately. Ann sneaked a glance at her best friend and had to hold back a frown as she spotted yet more bruises on her legs and arms. She noticed that her friend who had almost always wore short sleeved shirts in the past no matter the weather was wearing her sweater more often. She knew it was in an attempt to hide the injuries from her, but it only made them more obvious. Ann wanted nothing more than to ask her to quit the volleyball team to escape the hell she was living.

“So, how’s practice been”

Shiho’s gaze immediately darkened at the word and Ann winced at her friends pained expression, chastising herself for bringing up something she knew was the source of her pain. Shiho took a shaky breath most likely to calm her nerves.

“It’s been a bit rough. But we have a match coming up soon so I’m sure he’s just pushing us to be our best”

Ann could only do her best to hold back tears at the sound of her friend’s voice. It was rough and strained like she was fighting against her own tears. Both of them fell into a painful silence as neither wanted to say something that might break the dam of waterworks in both of their eyes. As Ann was about to talk again, her phone cut her off. She begrudgingly pulled it out and saw her managers number. She let a small sigh of relief out when it wasn’t Kamoshida’s name on her screen, she was about to decline before Shiho stood up.

“You should take it; I need to get back to practice”

Ann could only watch her friend walk away and it broke her heart to see how small she looked.

Ren spent the rest of class either staring out the window or at his desk. None of the lessons were being digested as his mind kept thinking back on what Morgana had said. He was so deep in thought that it wasn’t until Kawakami was smacking the back of his head with textbook that he realised she had been calling his name. He looked up and gulped at the glare she was giving him.

“Amamiya-san. I moment of your time if you’d please”

She turned and walked towards the door leaving Ren to fumble around in his desk as he attempted to catch up with her. The entire classes snide remarks weren’t lost on him and he wished he could return to his zen place worrying about a different reality just to block them out. As he exited the classroom, he began to follow Kawakami as she led him to the faculty office. Before she entered, she looked at Ren and her cold glare softened into that of a concerned teacher.

“Has something happened between you and Kamoshida”

Ren was stunned. Unsure if it was because the teacher had noticed or that she hadn’t noticed until now, he assumed the entire faculty were aware of Kamoshida and were simply being quiet for the sake of their own jobs but now he wasn’t fully convinced. Regardless he decided it’d be best to downplay the animosity, so he replied with a small shrug.

“Nothing more substantial then any other teacher that’s met me”

She gave him a quizzical look before being interrupted by the faculty office door opening as Kamoshida and the Red-haired ponytail from the train came out. The girl looked at Ren and almost immediately gave him a warm smile before bowing politely.

“Ah senpai, good to see you again”

Kamoshida’s look went from bored to infuriated in a record speed before he crossed his arms and took a more aggressive stance.

“Yoshizawa-san, remember our conversation about the people you should be avoiding here at Shujin.”

She raised her head and looked at Kamoshida, nodding her head in affirmation, a good moment went by before she understood what he was saying as she looked back to Ren with genuine surprise on her face.

“Oh, the criminal transfer student”

Ren could see the teacher about to make a snark comment, so he decided to take the wind out of his sails.

“The one and only. Nice to meet you again”

He looked to Kamoshida with a smirk plastered across his face

“I hope you said good things about me to my Kohai Kamoshida sensei”

He returned Ren’s comment with a simple scowl before walking past them with ponytail starting a second later to catch up. Ren grabbed her arm gently and whispered soft enough for only the two of them to hear.

“I’d stay away from Kamoshida whenever possible if I was you”

She looked perplexed but didn’t get the chance to answer before the bell signalling the end of the day rang. She quickly bowed and Ran off. Ren turned back to look at Kawakami expecting a glare but only received a look of defeat. She let out a long sigh before waving him off.

“Forget it, I got the answers I needed. Look I won’t tell you how to live you school life, but I’d highly suggest you try and fly under the radar”

Ren felt a bit annoyed by her comment, as if the entire incident behind his record getting leaked was something he had any control over. He turned away from Kawakami and muttered.

“If I was ever given the opportunity, I’m sure I would have”

He walked off before he could see her reaction.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I think I'm improving but I always feel theres one part in every chapter where it could be a lot better. Either way I hope you enjoy. The inciting incident should be happenig in the next chapter so look forward to that.

Ren made his way to the station in a bad mood. He texted Ryuji asking if he wanted to grab something to eat but said he had to help his mum out so that left Ren all alone to stew in his own bitterness. The conversation with Kawakami had only reminded him how thin the ice he was treading was at Shujin and it frustrated him to no end how little control he had over his life. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that he already arrived at his destination. The only thing snapping him out of his daze was a girl with blonde twin tails yelling into her phone.

“I told you I can’t come over. I have a shoot today”

He wasn’t close enough to hear the response on the other end.

“That wasn’t the deal, you promised!”

Another response he couldn’t hear but from the way she pocketed her phone and crouched down with her head tucked between her arms, it clearly wasn’t great news. He made his way towards her when she noticed his presence. Her head shot up and met his eyes where he could see hers were threatening tears. She quickly wiped her eyes and stood up making herself look as normal as possible.

“Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop”

Ren just crossed his arms, the exhaustion from the day catching up and making his patience thinner than normal.

“Can’t call it eavesdropping if the person shouts what they’re saying”

She met his glare with one of her own. Her patience clearly wasn’t entirely there either. She dropped it quickly though just to be replaced by one of defeat. She took a deep breath.

“Sorry, you’re right it’s not your fault”

Before Ren could apologise for snapping himself, she darted off down the stairs of the station. He let out a sigh and turned towards his train, he didn’t get three steps before he turned on his heel and started running in the direction, he saw the girl run off towards. Huffing to himself softly as he made his way down the steps two at a time.

“Stupid morale compass, why can’t you just let me act like the criminal everyone thinks I am”

On the list of things Ren had wanted to spend his afternoon doing. Chasing after a crying girl in the labyrinth that was the Tokyo metro system was just above seeing the real Kamoshida in a speedo. She wasn’t making it easier on him with her constant comments that were less then flattering when directed at someone with a criminal record, but he continued his chase eventually losing her in a sea of people. He questioned how hard it could possibly be to find one blonde in an ocean of black hair but here she was eluding him. He scanned the crowd and thought about his last trip to the metaverse, he wondered if it’d work in the real world.

“No time like the present” he mumbled as he closed his eyes and tried to focus. After a moment he could feel the people around him become distant, the sounds became muffled and when he opened his eyes the world was dim, he looked around again and noticed a shimmering blue haze coming from a crepe stand. He started towards it and found his target. He closed his eyes and willed the world to return to its original saturation.

“Why do you keep chasing me around. I swear I’ll call security”

Ren sighed and rubbed his head; the third eye had already started to give him a headache and her shouting wasn’t doing any favours.

Clap

She fell silent as he clapped his hands together and he smiled slightly at its success. He moved his hand to his head and started to rub his hair.

“Look, first let me apologise for eavesdropping it wasn’t my place to listen”

He looked around the station and wished he could just put his headphones in to drown out the noise. He still hadn’t gotten used to how busy everything was all the time in Tokyo, he looked back to Ann and could tell she was still wary about talking to him.

“I’m gonna head to a café and get something to drink. Do you wanna come? My treat”

She spent a minute gauging his question and studying his body language looking for any hidden motives. When she concluded he didn’t have any she let out a long sigh and nodded her head in agreement as the two left the underground station heading towards the nearest café in Shibuya.

“I guess you’ve heard the rumours?”

Ren had to restrain himself from knocking his drink over in surprise. After 10 minutes of mind-numbing silence the girl had finally given him a small opportunity to talk.

He shrugged slightly while taking a sip of his drink.

“Depends. Are you talking about yours or mine? because I’ve started ignoring both”

Ann smiled softly at his attempt of humour and took a bigger sip of her drink. The awkward silence had apparently left her quite parched. After she looked to her side trying her hardest not to meet his eyes, she rubbed her arm nervously.

“The guy on the phone was Kamoshida. I tried my hardest not to give him my number, but he ended up just using the school’s records to get it himself”

While her posture indicated fear and defeat, the scorn in her eyes showed that she was pissed that he got her number at all.

“He keeps asking me to come over to his place even though I’ve told him no so many times, but he won’t take it for an answer”

Ren decided to remain quiet, he knew that once a person starts venting their issues, the worst thing you could do is interrupt them.

“But he’s started threatening Shiho’s starting position and I-I-I”

The tears fell from her eyes as she stumbled over what she wanted to say. She bit her lip tightly as she willed them to stop.

“Tell me, what am I should I do?” she mumbled under her breathe through clenched teeth. Ren could only clench his fists under the table. She waited a moment for a response and when she realised she wasn’t going to get one she took a deep breath before standing up.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping all my problems on you. Thanks for the drink. I’ll see you tomorrow”

Ren sat eerily still as she walked past him out of the café. He could feel his bones shaking and the taste of iron filled his mouth as he bit the inside of his cheek. He felt truly disgusted with himself. He had coaxed her into telling him and he had nothing to give her. He stood up not long after and walked out of the café with Morgana’s plan replaying in his head.

He spent the entire trip home arguing with himself over the morality of the decision. Kamoshida was a scum bag through and through. He abused children and is trying to illicit sexual favours from the female students. The school is just as bad in its attempts to cover it up but did that give him the right to take justice into his own hands. To risk killing a person. Did the needs of the many really outweigh the needs of the few? Especially if the needs of the few were inherently evil. And most importantly, was it his decision to make, he made it for Ryuji on the rooftop but was that truly fair. What would Ann do if she had their powers.

The bell of Leblanc brought him back to the present as Sojiro looked at him in confusion as he stood awkwardly in the door.

“You plan on coming in kid”

Ren sighed as he took a step in, he hadn’t even considered the time and expected Sojiro to chastise him for coming home late. What he wasn’t expecting was to be catching a key that was tossed in his direction. He looked it over with apprehension and intrigue.

“It’s the key to the shop, I’ve decided that you don’t need a babysitter and I can’t keep waiting for you to come back before closing up the shop. Now it isn’t an excuse to spend all night out in Shibuya and if I hear you end up skipping school one more time, I won’t hesitate to-“

“To kick my ass out. Right?” Ren finished the sentence with a small smirk.

Sojiro retuned it with one of his own before crossing his arms.

“Heh smartass”

A peaceful quiet enveloped the two when Ren let his cocky smirk transform into a genuine smile.

“Thank you Sojiro. You don’t know how much this means”

The look on his face showed that Sojiro hadn’t expected to hear that from the delinquent. Ren was almost convinced he saw a small blush on the owner’s face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ah jeez kid, no need to get so sappy” he removed his apron and walked around the counter towards the door, before leaving he patted Ren on the shoulder.

“And stop calling me Sojiro, everyone around here just calls me boss. Goodnight kid”

Ren looked down at his key and felt his smile grow a touch bigger.

“Goodnight boss”


	14. Chapter 14

Shiho was tired. This was nothing new lately, she woke up feeling less rested then she did when she fell asleep and every step she took towards the hell that was school made her feel more and more exhausted. Her only reprieve came in the form of her best friend Ann Takamaki, and even talking to her was becoming more challenging as she lived knowing that her friend was placating Kamoshida’s advances for her sake.

Shiho wanted nothing more than to go home and forget about life for a brief moment, but she could feel her stomach acids churn as Mishima was waiting for her at the front gate.

“Kamoshida wants to see you Shiho” she should have hated the boy, it was always him that appeared before another day of beatings and degrading comments but whenever he told her the news, the way he’d shake in fear of what he was doing, she couldn’t blame the boy because she knew he had the same nightmares she did.

She let out a tired breath as she turned around and walked towards Kamoshida’s office, fighting back the urge to vomit the entire way.

As she opened the door and looked at the man, she knew right then and there that today wasn’t going to be normal “extra training”

The next few days were quiet, and Ren was on edge the entire time. He didn’t know when quiet had become a sign of bad things to come but it had. No signs of Morgana only reinforced his worry that something awful had to happen soon.

“Dude you good?”

Ren shook his head to try and get his senses back, a bad habit as of late where he gets too engrossed in his thoughts. He looked at Ryuji who was stuffing his face with a sandwich. He could only offer a tired smile.

“I don’t know, don’t you think the last few days have been…too normal”

The blonde boy frowned as he thought about it.

“Yeah I guess you have a point, even Kamoshida has been less of a dickhead lately”

The two went quiet as the wind picked up, the metal fence rattling and groaning at the force. Ren stared at its rusted bolts and eroding chain links. He couldn’t help but feel entranced by it. The bell rang and Ryuji was the first to stand stretching his arms and sighing at the realisation he’d have to go back to class.

“I’m not sure if quiet is such a bad thing though. At least we don’t have knights trying to stab us when it’s quiet”

Ren nodded absentmindedly at the comment. He didn’t want to make Ryuji as anxious as he felt without any concrete reason, having one of them being optimistic could only help more than hurt. Ren stood up and followed Ryuji off the roof, closing the door behind them but not locking it. A habit they did during first break due to their extended time on the roof. No reason to pick the lock twice a day.

The day continued like any other. Classes went by with information Ren tried to retain, failing more than succeeding due to the incessant comments of him not paying attention when he fails to answer a question correct. He hadn’t spoken Ann since there last meeting but at least she was smiling whenever he walked by, even if it was obviously just to be polite, it was a step in the right direction.

But as the day went on, Ren felt the pit in his stomach get deeper and deeper and he couldn’t understand why. It got to the point where sitting in his seat was starting to become uncomfortable, he raised his hand and asked to go the toilet. The teacher, Ushimaru glared at the boy before begrudgingly accepting. As Ren stood up and walked towards the exit, he heard a boy two seats away mutter under his breath

“Probably going to the bathroom to have a smoke”

Ren walked past him making sure to kick his chair hard. He smiled slightly as he heard the boy yelp in a pitch higher than anyone expected which earned him a few snickers.

As he closed the door behind him, he stared out the window towards the roof, He saw some movement and assumed it was simply a bird. The pit in his stomach though grew enormously and he couldn’t help but look again, this time paying much more attention to the movement and this is when he saw her. The brown hair, the ponytail and the white Shujin uniform, and she was now standing on the edge.

Ren wasn’t sure when he had started running, whether it was before or after everyone else had noticed but it wasn’t important. He could feel his muscles strain as he sprinted across the archway towards the practice building, weaving between student and teachers. Ignoring the stray comments about him needing to return to class. He managed to get the stairs and he started climbing, three steps at a time.

As he reached the third floor, he was going so fast that he had no time to react to the arm the clotheslined him right across the chest. Knocking him on his back and forcing the air out of his lungs, he laid for a second before realising he needed to get back up. He rolled onto his side as he gasped for any air possible only to be met with a foot in his ribcage. Pain flared through his chest and it only got worst with each subsequent kick before it drifted down to his stomach. He could only contain his vomit through sheer force of will as he stared at his assailant. One Suguru Kamoshida who was beating Ren with a maniacal grin plastered across his face.

Once he figured Ren wasn’t going to cough up any lunch, he gripped the boy by his collar. Lifting him slightly off the floor only the drive a fist right into his cheek, Ren wasn’t able to see straight after the first punch and after the second and third, he was struggling to keep his eyes open at all. Everything felt foggy and he wondered if this was what a concussion felt like. He could only look on as Kamoshida turned his back and walked away muttering something about trash.

Ren felt the world start to dim as his eyes closed from exhaustion and when everything went dark, the last thing he heard was a sicken thud coming from the courtyard.

As ren opened his eyes, he found himself laying in his cell at the velvet room. The hard bed feeling strangely comfortable underneath him, he swung his legs and sat up but made no effort to stand or look at his wardens.

“The time has come trickster; you will be faced with great despair and it is up to you and the bonds you form to fix it. As such I have one last gift to give you personally”

With a snap of his fingers a strange warmth flooded Ren’s chest and he could feel Arsene stir within his heart. Though what this actually did to help him, he wasn’t aware.

“Until we meet again trickster”

Ren couldn’t resist the urge to lay back down on the bed and as his head rested on the pillow he was back in realty, eyes wide open and breathing ragged. He groaned as he turned himself onto his side, blinking the stars out of his eyes he felt his ribs, he sighed a small relief as he didn’t feel any extreme pain, at least they weren’t broken. He managed to get to his feet and took tentative steps towards the nearest window where he saw a crowd forming in the courtyard. He looked towards the direction that Kamoshida had sauntered off in and took a deep breath. He decided that would be a problem for later as he started jogging down the stairs towards the scene.

As he walked out of the building into the courtyard, he could see two sets of blonde hair on the out skirts, one was crying and the other was shouting at students to get out of the way. He could feel his blood boil at the thought of the girl lying there dying with no one beside her side. He rushed towards the crowd and shouted as loud and rough as he could muster.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY”

The voice of the criminal transfer student apparently was a lot more recognisable then the blonde headed troublemaker as a line of students turned towards Ren with pale faces. Ryuji nodded at Ren, eyes slightly surprised at his bruised face before grabbing Ann by the arm and pulling her towards Shiho.

Ren let out another ragged breath as the felt exhaustion wash over him, he took a step back and leaned against a beam choosing to draw less attention the two by being with them.

He noticed Mishima on the edge of the crowd mumbling to himself before he skittered off. He followed the boy and managed to catch him trying to put on his shoes.

“Where are you running off to Mishima?”

He could see the boy physically shiver at the sound of his voice and as he turned around to face Ren, he could see the look of fear in his eyes. Fear and…guilt. Suddenly everything clicked in his head. Ann’s phone call, her relationship to Shiho. Kamoshida’s sudden beating and Mishima’s nervousness.

Ren took a slow step forward as Mishima backed himself up against the shoe locker. With the way Mishima was shivering, Ren was sure his glare could freeze over hell itself.

“What did he do to her Mishima”

Mishima opened his mouth and closed it but no words came out, as if it would physically kill him to speak.

Ren felt the metal crumple underneath his fist that had flown past the boy’s head into the locker. A small trickle of blood fell from his hand and Mishima’s eyes widened in terror.

“I-I-I”

“Mishima, I’m in a very bad mood, if you don’t tell me what happened, I’ll kill you before Kamoshida can ever get a hold of you”

Mishima took an audible gulp before taking a breath to steady himself so he wouldn’t stutter as much.

“A few days ago after practice, Kamoshida told me to get Shiho, He seemed to be angrier then usual and instead of taking her to the Gym, he made her talk to him in his office…” Mishima’s eyes became more and more guilty as he put the dots together about what he had done.

“That son of a bitch did what” Ren turned to see Ryuji staring at the two. Anger and disgust evident on his face as he readied his body into a running position.

“Ryuji wait a seco-“ but the words fell on death ears as the blonde boy started sprinting off. Ren swore to himself and gave one last pitiful look at Mishima before he followed suit.

Ren ran will all his might to catch up to his friend. He needed to stop Ryuji before he did something rash but no matter how much he willed his legs to run faster, he couldn’t overcome the difference in leg power between him and a former track runner, even if said runner had suffered a serious injury.

It was this difference that led to Ren running up a set of stairs only to no longer see the boy. He scanned the floor for any signs and as he stood for a moment, he could hear a set a laboured breaths following him up the stairs, he snuck a glance behind him and saw it was Mishima. He turned towards the boy who was struggling up the last set of stairs, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him to the top.

“Kamoshida’s office. Now”

The meek boy simply nodded and led the way as quickly as he could. They found themselves standing in front of a sliding door, the sounds of a chair being kicked echoed inside and Ren feared that Ryuji was once again going to suffer another case of self-defence.

He slid the door open with more force then necessary and let out a small sigh when he saw his friend still standing on two legs.

Kamoshida stared at Ren with contempt on his face.

“Great, more trash joins the party.”

Ren walked past Ryuji and stood toe to toe with Kamoshida.

“What the fuck did you do to her” he hissed through gritted teeth.

Kamoshida stared the boy down and Ren could see the teachers fist shaking in excitement, Ryuji grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, an action Ren allowed as he took a breath to calm himself.

“What you did. That wasn’t coaching”

The two boys turned slightly, both surprised to see Mishima was still present, Ren had to give the kid credit, despite looking like he wanted to melt into a puddle, he had a backbone when it counts.

Kamoshida shook his head in disappointment at Mishima’s disobedience.

“Oh Mishima, you’re siding with this trash here, I guess that makes sense, you couldn’t become a regular, so you convince the criminal and thug that I did something to that poor girl.

Mishima balled his fists as he mustered more of his courage.

“You know that’s not what this is about. You told me to bring Suzui-san here and you did something to her”

The teacher leered at the boy and all the confidence he had seemingly drained out of him. He crossed his arms and stood taller in an attempt to intimidate the three.

“If we even assume what your saying is true, where’s your evidence. We just got a call from the hospital, Suzui’s in a coma and the chances of recovery are slim. The poor girl might never play volleyball again. What a shame”

Ryuji took a step forward as he drew his fist back but was swiftly stopped as Ren locked his elbow with the blondes. Ryuji sent a glare towards Ren.

“Let me go Ren, I’m beating his ass here and now”

Ren returned Ryuji’s glare with one of his own, both of their tempers had been wearing thin the entire time so neither took it personally.

“And what do you intend to do when he breaks your leg. I need you to stay calm.”

The two stared each other down and for a moment Ren was nervous that Ryuji’s temper had clouded his judgment more then he suspected but unlocked their arms as he saw the teen take a deep breath and let go of the fist he was holding.

“Oh, you’re stopping him. Now that’s a surprise. I thought you of all people would want to hit me”

Ren sent a much more deadly glare towards Kamoshida. He looked the teacher up and down before smirking to himself.

He spat at Kamoshida’s feet “Heh, no blood, guess your kicks are like you spikes, grossly overrated”

Ren was certain he could hear the man snarl under his breath before he turned around and sat back down at his desk.

“You’re all expelled, I’m reporting you at the next staff meeting”

Mishima seemingly managed to scrape up some of the courage that had leaked out as he spoke up from behind the two boys.

“You can’t do that”

Kamoshida didn’t even bother looking at the boy, his murderous look directed solely at Ren.

“and who would believe you three wastes of space. A criminal, the delinquent that assaulted a teacher and the student that leaked Ren Amamiya’s personal information on the internet”

Ren and Ryuji turned to look at the boy, Ryuji in dis-belief and Ren in disgust. Mishima crumpled under there gazes, falling to his knees. “He told me to do it, I didn’t have a choice”

Ren was the first to walk out with Ryuji giving Mishima one last disdainful look before following him out of the office.

He ran after Ren who was down the hallway walking down the stairs. He managed to catch up to him as he was standing on the bottom step.

“Ren wait”

He bowed forward

“I’m sorry, I should have waited like you said”

There was a heavy silence the surrounded the two, Ryuji wasn’t sure how Ren reacted, too scared to raise himself to look at the raven-haired boy.

When the silence became too much for him, he snuck a glance at Ren who had turned to face him.

Ryuji was stunned too see not a face of malice or anger. Not a face of frustration or defeat. The face Ren wore was one of excitement and confidence.

“Hey Ryuji, ever wanted to beat up a king?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, inciting incident. And I think I did it well. 
> 
> There are things I wish I had set up in previous chapter but regardless, I'm proud of the chapter.
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sorry for the long gap.   
> I was having some trouble feeling motivated to write but I hope the qulaity is still good enough to make up for it.   
> I hope you all enjoy.
> 
> I won't say that future chapters will come sooner or not, I might try to limit it to 1 per week to not bunr myself out.

Ren was watching Ryuji take out his anger on a vending machine and he had to stifle a laugh when the vending machine won the fight leaving Ryuji with a red hand. The blonde hadn’t taken the news about Ren being assaulted on his way to try and help Shiho well and he couldn’t blame his friend, Ren also really wanted to punch something but with his record he knew that the small satisfaction would only cause more issues then fix.

After Ryuji had called it a draw between him and the machine, he opted to use his sparring partner as a wall to lean on. He let out a puff of air in frustration, “What are we even waiting for. We should be going in there and beating the shit out of him”

“You really are a simple-minded fool. We’re not beating him up, we’re stealing his distorted desires”

Ren smirked as his friend jumped in surprise at the sound of Morgana’s voice, the cat jumped down from a ceiling beam and landed on the table in front of them stretching his body in the process. He sat down and stared at the two before smiling coyly.

“So, I gather you guys have reconsidered my plan”

Ren looked over to Ryuji and the two made eye contact. They didn’t say anything before Ryuji nodded in affirmation. Ren leaned forward in his seat and clasped his fingers together, his smirk from earlier disappearing as he took a serious tone. “Yeah, we have. We’re in. We’ll steal his distorted desire and make the bastard pay”

Morgana shivered slightly at Ren’s words and stare. For a brief moment, the cat swear he could feel the teens shadow grow larger, but it quickly returned after he blinked. The cat grinned at the two.

“Great. We’ll infiltrate the palace after school- hey what are you doin-” Ryuji quickly grabbed the cat and stuffed him into Ren’s bag, with one last angry meow, the bags zipper was shut just as Ann turned the corner.

“Did I just hear a cat”?

Ryuji attempted to whistle nonchalantly but failed to consider the fact that he wasn’t good at whistling. Ren shook his head at his friend’s stupidity before sighing and looking at Ann. “Don’t worry about it, why are you hear? I thought you’d be at the hospital”

Ann didn’t reply immediately, a long pause fell over the three as she started rubbing her arm. “Is it true you two are getting expelled” Ryuji and Ren looked to each other out of the corner of their eyes, both of their faces showed slight shock at the speed of which the information spread. Before Ren could form a satisfying answer for the girl, Ryuji interjected with one of his own. “Forget about it. It has nothing to do with you”

Ren had to resist every fibre of his being willing him to slam his head against the table at his friend’s deftness and from the look Ann gave him, she was resisting every urge to slam _his_ head against the table. “What’s that supposed to mean! Shiho told me what the piece of shit did to her before she lost consciousness. If you guys have a plan I want in” Ren tried to think of the best thing to tell the girl but once again Ryuji’s bluntness beat him to the punch “You can’t help Ann, You’d just get in the way. Focus on helping Shiho” Ren was certain the girl was gonna slap the boy from how hard her hand was shaking but instead she turned swiftly on her heel, her twin tails spinning with a force begging to slap Ryuji’s face as she stormed away. Ren stared at Ryuji in disbelief while the boy let out a sigh of exhaustion. He looked back at Ren “Why you are looking at me like that” Ren shook his head in disappointment “There were better ways to go about that”

Ryuji looked at the spot that Ann had been standing “It’s not like we could take her into that world. It’s too dangerous. It’s better if she doesn’t want anything to do with us” Ren continued to stare at his friend as he realised his friends true motives and couldn’t help but smile. He stood up and opened his bag letting Morgana out who gave the two boys a death stare. “What’s the big idea shoving me into that bag. I could have suffocated” Ryuji looked away mumbling under his breath “If only” Ren tried to cover his mouth before his chuckle escaped but to no avail. The cat looked at the two incredulously and let a small groan at his new apprentices.

As the bell signalling the end of the day rung, the two stood up and left school with Morgana begrudgingly riding in Ren’s bag to avoid being seen by other students. They made their way to alleyway that had used before to enter the metaverse and spent a good while watching the students make their way out of the school. When they were sure that no one was going to walk by Ren opened the app and pressed the navigation button, the world began to distort around him but where before the sight had made him sick and forced him to close his eyes, it now gave him relief, filling the pit that had been growing in his stomach all day and with a new found drive, the sight of a castle in front of him stirred up a whole new form of rebellion within him.

“Woah, we’re already in our weird costumes”

Ren looked at Ryuji and saw his thug gear not bothering to look at himself, he could feel the cool breeze against his now freshly shaved head and the weight of his piercings felt perfectly natural. After Ryuji had finished admiring his new clothes, the two started walking towards the window that had been previously used only to be interrupted by Morgana’s snicker.

“You guys really are amateurs; we need to come up with code names first before we infiltrate”

Ren and Ryuji stared at each other before looking towards the cat with suspicion. Ryuji was the first to ask the question “Why do we need codenames?” both regretted asking the question because they could feel Morgana get smugger the longer, he explained.

“We’re inside Kamoshida’s mind, what do you think would happen if with went around shouting our real names” Ryuji looked confused as Ren crossed his arms and stroked his imaginary beard. “He’d subconsciously start thinking about us. And if we want to do this quickly, it’ll be better for us if he isn’t on our case all the time at school” Ren looked at Morgana and felt intense satisfaction the wind taken out of the Cat’s sail.

“Alright then, what should we call ourselves” Ryuji slightly moaned

Morgana snickered “You should be called Monkey”

Ryuji stepped forward “What was that you little shit”

Ren clapped his hands together shutting the two up, he was lucky that Kamoshida’s stress relief didn’t leave him with a concussion but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel any sort of lasting pain from having his head banged against the floor. The last thing he needed was the two’s bickering to stir up a headache.

“Ryuji, you’ll be skull because of your mask, and Morgana, we’ll call you Mona because Morgana is a mouthful” The two looked at Ren with slight disappointment as they weren’t able to decide for themselves but neither of them argued when Ren shot them a spine chilling smile daring them to complain. Ryuji sighed in defeat “Fine but what should we call you. Your mask doesn’t look like anything” they stood for a while thinking about possible names and when Ren was about explain that they could think of it later, a high-pitched voice interrupted them.

“What the hell is going on” The three turned towards the voice and saw Ann standing there in her school uniform looking at the Castle in horror. Ryuji and Ren stared at the girl in shock while Morgana stared at her in a stupor.

“Ann? How the hell did you get here?” Ryuji asked with panic evident in his voice. The girl stared at him and then at Ren in confusion as the voice was familiar to her, but the clothes were completely foreign.

“Is that you Ryuji? What the hell are you wearing” Ren couched loudly getting their attention and avoiding the long conversation answering that question would bring. He looked to Ryuji and tried to keep his voice quiet enough for her not to recognise it. “We need to get her out of here before she gets involved any deeper”

“Wait does that mean you’re Ren?” Ren snickered at the girl’s sharpness. He had gotten to used to dealing with Ryuji who wore his thoughts on his sleeves but was denser than a rock. He started walking towards the girl who took up a defensive pose as Ryuji followed closely behind.

Ren quickly clarified “I got her legs” Ryuji didn’t understand Ren’s apprehension of being near the girls top half and happily ran behind her and draped his arms under her arms as Ren lifted her legs into the air.

“Hey where are you tak-HEY WATCH WHERE YOUR TOUCHING!”

Ryuji panicked as he realised his arms had accidently moved further down her chest then he intended.

“Shit sorry, listen we’ll explain later just-“

Chomp

“And that is why I didn’t want to go anywhere near her top” Ren laughed as he and Ryuji started walking back towards the castle after dropping Ann in the real world and darting back into the metaverse. Ryuji was tentatively rubbing his hand where a bite mark had definitely appeared underneath his glove “You could have warned me I was about to accidently grope” Ren smiled at the Blonde while draping his arm around his neck “And what kind of friend would I be if I robbed my best buddy his chance to hold onto the girl he likes” Ryuji started gaping at Ren like a fish out of water as a bright blush covered his face “What are you talking about, I’m so not into her” Ren just gave the boy a impish grin as he let go of him and walked towards a still stunned Morgana.

“Yo what’s up with the cat”

The two looked at the mascot who was as standing limply slowly rocking back and forth with a dazed look on his face. Ren recognised the pose from somewhere and as he remembered an old Shojo manga his mum showed him Morgana decided to mumble “She was beautiful”

The two just stood in utter silence before Ren started rubbing his temple in pure contempt.

“The cat has a god damn crush on Ann” Ren groaned out as Ryuji responded halfway between laughing and gagging, the sound of which snapped Morgana out of his daze. “I AM NOT A CAT!” Ren glared at the creature “I’m not having this conversation” he started walking towards the castle with Ryuji beside him leaving the feline to scramble to catch up.

As per Morgana’s teachings, there first goal was to find a map of the castle to assist them in forming a plan. The three made there way through the bottom floor of the castle meticulously searching rooms before coming across their first shadow. Morgana hopped in front of the two as they readied their weapons.

“We should conserve our energy; we don’t know how long we’ll be there”

Ren stared at the shadow, it was walking a designated route in the room, It would have been simple to avoid it, darting between the shadows while keeping a look out for any maps but Ren couldn’t contain the frustration he had been feeling the entire day, the feeling of powerlessness that plagued him. He dashed past the cat and hopped onto the shadow when it wasn’t facing him, climbing up it’s back with dizzying speed, as he reached for his knife, Arsene’s voice echoed in his head.

“There is no time to kill him boy. Rip his mask off and take advantage of his confusion to enact your vengeance”

Without hesitation Ren slipped his fingers underneath the mask of the knight and pulled with an incredible strength unknown even to him. The force and lack of resistance sent him flying backwards and with an added flip for flair, he landed directly in front of his companions. The knight shuddered without its mask before crumbling to ash and reforming as small fairy but unlike the past shadows the creature’s eyes looked glazed and lost.

“Dammit, why didn’t you listen to me”

Ren smiled to himself, the familiar feeling of strength coursing through him as he drew his knife and launched himself towards the beast, He ducked below the fairy and drew his knife upwards using his own force to launch himself into the air. “Mona, gimme a boost” he didn’t bother waiting to hear the cats comment before pushing his body forward in a front flip, as he reached the apex of the arc, a gust of wind brought his foot down on the shadow in a devastating axe kick that cause the ground to crack. As he brought his foot up expecting to see a mess of black sludge, he was greeted with the shadow floating lazily in the air. He grabbed his knife but stopped as he heard a voice enter his mind, not his own or Arsene’s though, this time it was new female voice.

“Please don’t kill me. I have so much left to live for”

Ren stared at the shadow in horror and wonder. He hadn’t heard a shadow speak in full sentences before and when they did speak, it was simply to butter up to their king.

“Hey man, what are you waiting for” Ryuji started walking towards Ren but was swiftly stopped by his raised hand indicating he remain where he was.

Ren turned back to face the shadow, sheathing his knife and kneeling in front of the floating creature “And why should I? You’re one of the kings subordinates”

The shadow looked back him with a dazed look on her face, her eyes downcast as if she were thinking to herself “Subordinate? king? That’s not right. I belong to the sea of consciousness; I have no king”

Suddenly with a brand-new vigour the shadow raised itself to eye level with Ren who had taken a quick step back readying himself for combat. “That’s right, I remember now. I am Pixie and I shall be the one to mend your wounds on your journey”

The shadow glowed with a bright light that engulfed Ren’s vision. From the exclamation behind him, he wasn’t the only one blinded. When the light dissipated, all that remained of the Shadow was a floating mask shimmering a light shade of blue. The design exactly the same as the one Ren wore and as he reached out to examine it, the mask flew against his face but instead of feeling the impact, the mask disappeared into his own and a warm feeling flowed through his chest.

“What the hell happened man, did it hit you in the nose or something”

Ren didn’t respond as his mind was filled by the woman’s voice “Call upon me trickster and show your allies your new strength” Ren lifted the mask off of his face and as it faded into nothing. Blue flames and chains shot from behind him. Ryuji and Morgana stared in amazement as what used to be a space reserved for Arsene was replaced by the very shadow Ren had beaten down.

“You can summon more then one persona” Morgana somewhat whispered as if he had to confirm it for himself. Ren Smirked to his friend’s and looked behind him to see Pixie floating behind him giving him a warm smile” Pixie. Dia” A comforting green glow surrounded Ren and all the lasting pain and aching bones he had suffered from his earlier beatdown faded.

“Mweeheehee”

Ren and Ryuji stared at Morgana with concern “I think I know what your code name will be”

They continued to stare at the cat waiting for the big reveal.

“Joker. Our wild card”

Ren couldn’t contain the devilish smile the grew across his face at the sound of his title as he started walking towards the rooms exit before stopping and spinning on his heel to face his comrades.

“Skull, Mona. I think we have a treasure to steal”


	16. Chapter 16

“Where did they go”?

Ann was scared. Scratch that, she was downright terrified. Her day started off with watching her best friend jump off a building and then immediately learned why she tried to kill herself. Before she could even try to confronting that excuse of a human being she was bombarded with a new set of rumours about Ryuji and Ren getting expelled for attacking Kamoshida only to be told to stay put and twiddle her thumbs when the people around her were suffering.

She then made the mistake of following the two when they disappeared into an alleyway and was swiftly greeted by a wave a nausea and a freaking castle, the boys in question cosplaying as weird thieves and then groped by the only boy she’s ever really known.

And to top it all off, after being thrown out of the weird fantasy world, her phone started acting up which led her right back to where she started only without the only people she knew around. She felt completely lost now standing in the courtyard of what should have been a school.

“Princess Takamaki”

Ann spun at the sound of her name, she wasn’t greeted by another human, instead it was a suit of armour so obscenely large that there was no chance it was being worn by a human. Her instinct screamed at her that she was in danger, that she should run. But another instinct was shouting that running would only lead to her imminent demise.

“Um. Yes?”

The suit looked her up and down and she shivered under its gaze, it was exactly the same way that piece of garbage looked at her, ogling her chest and proportions.

“Why are you out here my lady, King Kamoshida is expecting you”

The sound of his name almost caused her to retch.

“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong girl. I’m just going to leave”

She started to back away slowly in an attempt to minimise suspicion but stopped dead in her tracks as she felt a cold hard hand grip her shoulder.

“Nonsense Princess, our lord is waiting for your return”

Before she could even attempt to break free and run, she was lifted into the air by the knight and carried through the large door.

“HEY! LET ME GO! What is it with guys carrying me around today”?

The three were making slow progress through the castles bottom floor, even with Ren’s ability to cover the teams weakness with new persona’s, obtaining said persona’s was becoming an issue as they continued to run into more and more shadows and as they continued to fight battle after battle, the three could feel the exhaustion starting to take its toll.

“There’s just no end to them” Ryuji growled in frustration as he electrocuted another set of floating horses with Ren taking advantage of their lack of mobility to slice their throats with his knife.

“No kidding, I swear every time we clear a room, the next one has twice as many shadows. Even with us avoiding a good number of them”

Morgana came up beside the two looking no better than them, he had naturally taken up a navigation role but that didn’t exclude him from helping out in fights. If anything, it was making him a more obvious target.

“Enough complaining, I can feel a safe room up ahead”

The teens sighed in relief, they were sceptical of safe rooms when Morgana had explained their power but all doubts were gone when they were able to use one to escape from a crowd of shadows that had caught them off guard.

They started heading down the hallway following Morgana’s direction before being stopped by a distant scream. Ryuji turned on his feet almost immediately at the sound which grabbed Ren’s attention. He stared at his friend and noticed the look of horror on his face.

“Ryuji? What’s up”

“That sounded like Ann”

Ren stiffened at his deduction and quickly turned to face the direction Ryuji was facing, straining his ear to hear as much as possible.

“Are you sure?”

Ryuji nodded “100 percent”

Ren started thinking and soon his face dropped at a possible conclusion. “Hey Ryuji, didn’t you tell me that the app appeared on your phone as well”

Ryuji turned to face Ren, slightly confused about his train of thought “Yeah. Right after…”

Ryuji bolted back towards where they had come from and Ren had barely a second to process what happened before he groaned and ran after his friend.

“Of all things the guy could have been. He just had to be an ex track star”

Ren and Morgana chased Ryuji back through the castle until they found the blonde teen struggling to get a large set of doors open. Ren sighed before walking up to his friend and pulling him back by his shoulder before grabbing his mask and pulling it off, swiftly being replaced by the floating horse Kelpie.

“You really need to stop this habit of running off without me Ryuji or I’ll have to tie you up when I bring you here” Ren grinned at his friend as the horse rammed its head against the door splintering the wood until it shattered under the pressure.

Ren’s grin swiftly morphed into a look of anger and disgusts as he saw what was on the other side of the door. A hallway decorated with statues of female torsos donning gym uniforms and below faceless purple bodies dressed the same way groping each-other.

“What the hell is this shit”

Morgana walked forward to examine “It’s probably how he sees the girls in the volleyball team. Simply vessels for his pleasure.” The three started towards another set of doors slowly walking around the purple bodies before one grabbed onto Ren’s leg. He looked down and though there was no face, he got the distinct feeling it was pleading to him. He smiled softly like he would at a child who was afraid of the dark before slowly bringing his knife out and plunging it into the cognitions back. Though it shouldn’t be possible without a face, he heard a faint thank you as it decayed into nothing.

The two nodded to each-other as they used their combined force to open the doors being greeted by Ann tied to a giant X with a speedo wearing Kamoshida holding onto a cognition of Ann who was wearing purple underwear and cat ears.

“Ann!”

Ryuji prepared to rush forward before Kamoshida’s voice locked them down.

“One more step and I’ll take her pretty little head off”

To reinforce his threat, two knights crossed their swords between her neck getting dangerously close to her jugular. Ryuji showed signs of an internal struggle debating whether to call the man’s bluff but the throbbing in his bad leg kept him rooted in place, he knew better then to test the perv’s temper.

“Good, seems like you do have a brain up there Sakamoto. Now where were we?”

“Fuck you Kamoshida, stop this stupid joke and let me go. Where’d you even find these guys” her eye’s widened as if she just noticed the other version of herself “And what am I wearing!”

Kamoshida looked over to his cognition of Ann and formed a sly and perverted grin “She’s talking down to me, what should we do?” The other Ann giggled like a schoolgirl and started stroking the king's chest with a lewd look on her face “It’s totally not cool to talk back, I think she needs to be punished” Kamoshida’s sick grin only grew wider “I couldn’t agree more”

With a flick of his hand, one of the knights brought his sword down the middle of her shirt causing the buttons to pop off revealing the girls’ body “Hey what the hell do you think you’re doing”

“Oh please, this is your fault you know. If you just listened to my requests from the start”

The girls eyes widened in horror at the man’s statement, she looked ready to fire back before Kamoshida continued talking “It’s such a shame, If only you agreed to come over that day, I wouldn’t have called your precious friend into my office and she probably wouldn’t have jumped”

Ann’s fiery gaze dropped almost instantly as her body went from rigid against her restraints to limp with her gaze downcast. She started speaking softly to herself “Is this really my fault, is this my punishment for what happened with Shiho”

Kamoshida started chuckling to himself “That’s more like it, I prefer my women to be more submissive.”

Ann didn’t pay the man any attention, too lost in her own self-loathing “Shiho I’m sorry” soon the only sound that filled the room was Kamoshida’s laughter while Ren struggled to think of a plan that would pose the smallest risk to someone without a persona.

Suddenly a new voice overpowered the Kings incessant laughter “Are you just going to take this shit Takamaki” all eyes flew to Ryuji as he stood there shaking with anger.

She stared at the boy with disbelief and sadness “Ryuji?”

“What the hell are you thinking listening to this garbage, was your friendship with Shiho so shallow that your just gonna stand there and take this shit. We both know she loved hanging out with you more than anything” He pointed to Kamoshida “He’s the one that made her jump. Not you. So, get over yourself”

A hush fell over the room and the only sign of movement came from Kamoshida examining his intruder’s reactions. When no one said anything in response to Ryuji’s word he started to laugh once again. “Trash should really know when to-”

“You’re right” Ann interrupted with a quiet but resolute tone. He stared back his captive with a glare.

“Slaves should just behave and listen to-”

“Shut up you piece of human trash”

Ren would have given anything to be able to take a picture of the face Kamoshida was wearing at Ann’s words, but he felt content with just watching the scene play out.

“You’ve pissed me off for the last time you son of a bitch”

Ann could feel her head throb in an instant, a pain she couldn’t describe started flaring through her mind and body and all she could do to relieve it was to desperately struggle against her restraints.

A seductive voice started to boon in her ears only adding to the pain of her headache.

“My… It’s taken far too long. Who will avenge the girl if not you? Forgiving him was never an option, such is the scream of the other you that dwells within. I am thou and thou art I” with a jerk, she lifted her head and felt a cool mask on her face giving immense relief to the throbbing pain. With a new burst of strength, she pulled against her shackles and listened as they broke away with no resistance, she fell to the floor and ran towards one of the knights that had backed away in surprise. She grabbed the armours sword and booted the body away before it could react.

The voice quickly returned “There you go. The contract can finally be forged. We both know nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand?” Ann nodded to the voice knowing that it could see her wherever it was coming from “Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength” Ann felt a mysterious desire to rip her mask off and she had had enough of denying her true feelings.

She gripped the corner of her mask and screamed as she ripped it off. A familiar column of blue light exploded blinding all that looked at it. As the light faded, she looked down and saw her true self, a red latex suit that fitted her body perfectly, accentuating every curve. She could feel a presence behind her and turned back to see her persona. A beautiful lady smoking a cigarette while holding onto chains that were attached to men in suits. All dawned by an incredible dress covered in roses.

She stared at her doppelganger and felt a fire light within her. That was the version of her he always saw, the version of her he wanted and a version he had convinced the entire school she was, and she was done with it. She leapt high into the air and brought the sword down right on top of the girl’s head, watching with satisfaction as she screamed before disappearing into nothing.

Ren watched the whole thing unfurl with a grin on his face because he knew they had just found their newest team-member. He looked over to his friend and resident cat who were both staring at Ann but with much more impure thoughts on their minds. He quickly jabbed his elbow into the blonde’s side which gifted him a glare of annoyance.

“What the eff dude”

Ren simply pointed to Morgana and laughed slightly as Ryuji’s faced paled. He patted his friends’ shoulder “word of advice, you generally stare at the girls butt after you start dating her” his laugh continued as he watched his pale face grow extremely red.

Ren watched as Ann started slowly advancing towards Kamoshida.

“I’m done trying to play up to your fantasies. You took everything from Shiho, and I will make you pay”

As the three made their way across the room to meet with Ann they heard a rattling of armour from behind them.

“Insolent fools how dare you threaten my king” Ren looked back to see a golden shadow start to shake violently and swiftly drew his knife as the knight collapsed into a puddle and reformed into a large demon.

The four looked on in horror and disgust as they processed what they were seeing. A giant demon sitting on a toilet wearing high heel boots. Ren started rubbing his brow in frustration.

“Why does everything this fucker thinks of have such bad fashion sense” he looked over to Ann and when he saw her face, he could tell she was thinking the same thing “I’d like to explain everything Ann but we need to take that thing out first”

He was surprised when he saw a fireball spark in her hand and couldn’t stop the smile from coming up as he thought of the possibilities having a fire user would open up. He started walking towards the shadow confidently drawing his pistol and unloading the clip into the demon’s toilet but couldn’t see any damage appear.

“Guns don’t work guys” Ryuji walked up beside him, smacking his metal pipe against his hand. “Good, up close and personal is more my style”

The two boys gave each-other a knowing look before making a beeline straight towards the demon. Only splitting up when they heard Morgana shout “Watch out, a Bufu shard coming from the ground” Ryuji dashed right to avoid it but Ren looked down with his third eye and saw the shards position under the ground. He adjusted his stance and as the shard pierced the ground, used the momentum to be lifted into the air. As he was sent hurtling over the demon’s head, he looked at Ann and felt déjà vu as she clicked her hand and tossed a volleyball sized fire ball in his direction. He called upon kelpie to use Garu to rotate his body before quickly switching to Arsene who appeared behind him, the two kicked the ball of fire directly into the shadow and watched it sail past the demon into his toilet.

A moment passed as Ren continued to fall before fire exploded from the toilet. “Mona!”

“Got it”

Ren felt a gust of wind blow him out of the way and as he landed on his feet, he switched back to Kelpie, he called upon a small tornado of wind which came into contact with the flame only intensifying the heat. The demon’s charred body fell to the ground and the moment it touched the floor he could hear a loud “Captain kid” before watching a cannon ball shatter the now fragile porcelain thrown. As the demon fell to the floor with nothing to protect him Ren saw his opportunity and ran forward brandishing his knife, on the way over he called Pixie for a quick heal to relieve the slight exhaustion he felt, boosting the speed at which he leapt towards the shadow and stabbing his knife into the demons forehead and kicking back to his original position. The combined force sent the demon reeling onto it’s back.

“Do it skull”

“ZIO!”

A lightning bolt made its way through the roof and found its home in Ren’s knife now acting as a makeshift lightning rod. The demon spasmed before dissolving into black dust.

The four held their breaths before letting out a collective sigh of relief at there victory. Ren walked towards Ann standing next to Morgana who was still staring at her dumbstruck. Even though he was closer, Ryuji managed to get to her first and Ren smiled at his friend’s obvious concern.

“We need to go after that son of a-”

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt her knees buckle and would have fallen over had Ryuji not rushed in to catch her.

“Whoa easy now, don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere but we need to get you out of here”

The girl struggled to try and stand on her own but to no avail before letting out a sigh of defeat, Ren couldn’t stop his laughter at the sight which earned him a confused look from the two. He simply shook his head at their deftness.

“I guess birds of a feather flock together”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a whole lot to say honestly other then I hope you're all enjoying the longer chapters and hopefully my writing is improving or at least staying consistant.
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	17. Chapter 17

“Which one do you want?”

Ren looked away from his phone towards his friend who was holding two drinks, one clear and the other orange. From the way Ryuji was staring at Ann he guessed the question wasn’t aimed at him. Ann looked up from her own phone at the boy and it was clear from how pale she looked that she was still feeling exhausted from awakening her persona. She let out a quiet sigh before pocketing her phone.

“Whichever one isn’t carbonated”

Ren and Ann laughed as they watched the blonde study the labels before scratching his head and responding sheepishly “I think they’re both carbonated” Ann rolled her eyes but maintained her smile. “Fine, give me the lemonade”

Ryuji handed her the drink carefully, making sure she wasn’t gonna drop it before tossing the orange one to Ren who caught it easily. After she took a couple long gulps emptying half the bottle into her mouth, she let out a loud gasp of air.

“So, let me see if I got everything. We were in a place called the metaverse, and that castle was Kamoshida’s perception of the school. So, in a way we were inside the perverts mind?”

Before either Ren and Ryuji could confirm her recap, Morgana popped his head out of ren’s bag and ran up his back onto his shoulder “That’s absolutely correct Lady Ann. Your so smart. And gorgeous” Ann stared at the cat for a good 10 seconds before giggling hysterically, the two boys stared at her with slight worry before she managed to calm herself down enough to speak.

“I’m sorry, it’s just so much has happened today that when I heard the Cat talk, I realised I didn’t even find it strange”

Ren and Ryuji stared at each other before starting to laugh themselves as they both realised the absurdity of getting used to a talking cat. Soon all three were laughing leaving a grumpy Morgana who kept insisting he wasn’t a cat. To the people around them, the three must have looked quite strange and out of place but for the ones laughing, it was a brief moment of brevity from the rough day they had all experienced.

After they had calmed down enough, Morgana was the first one to chime in with a question of his own.

“So, who’s going to let me stay with them. I’m sick of living on the street”

Ren stared at the two fully expecting them to take the cat off his shoulder. Ryuji scratched the back of his head.

“Sorry I can’t, mum’s allergic”

Ann who had managed to stand up but still didn’t look entirely stable also gave an excuse “I can’t either, mum and dad said no pets when they’re overseas and I have a nanny who keeps tabs on me” she stared directly at cat and Ren could feel Morgana shiver on his shoulder “Plus I don’t think I need a human trapped in a cats body hanging around my place when I’m getting dressed”

Ren looked at his friends who were staring right back at him. His brain which working slower with the full day’s exhaustion settling down on him eventually put the pieces together and he quickly cut the air with his hands.

“Nah ah, I’m on probation and I live in an attic above a restaurant. You really think my guardian will let me keep a cat there”

Ryuji just smiled innocently, and Ren really wanted to force the orange drink into his mouth “Just say your taking care of it to help keep you out of trouble and show that you’re responsible.” Both Morgana and Ann nodded at the boy’s suggestion. Ren looked around once again and groaned letting his head fall flat.

“The first sound argument he makes and it’s at my detriment” He quickly snapped his head up and stared the cat right in the eyes.

“Alright. You can stay”

Morgana opened his mouth to speak but Ren didn’t let him start.

“But on the condition that you shit outside, I find one turd in my room and I swear to god you’re gonna wish I never broke you out from that dungeon. Understood?”

Morgana gulped loudly in response while shaking his head in affirmation. Ren sighed but smiled lightly, he wouldn’t admit it, but he was somewhat ok having someone other than Sojiro to talk to after school. The three waved each other off as they went their separate ways.

The trip home was quick for Ren as he nearly passed out on the train back when he managed to find a seat. After waking up just in time to avoid missing his stop, he exited the train and started the short walk back to Leblanc, going through all the possible conversations he might have with Sojiro when he revealed that he brought a stray cat back with him. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the unfamiliar figure sitting at the counter until he was standing in the doorway.

When Ren actually saw the woman, his eyes were immediately drawn to her outfit due to its contrast with the antique style of the café. She wore what could only be defined as punk. With a blue dress that stopped short of her thighs, adorned with a black leather jacket with a spiked choker covering her neck. His focus was quickly ripped away when his eyes landed on her tights’ covered legs. He must have stared for longer than appropriate because she hadn’t noticed she was now standing in front of him with her arm’s crossed and a devilish smile on her face.

“You must be the new ward Sojiro’s been complaining about” she held out her hand in front of Ren “Tae Takemi, I run the clinic near the abandoned theatre here in Yongen Jaya”

Ren tried his best to will a natural smile onto his face, but he was sure it came across more tired than anything before reaching his hand out to shake hers.

“Hi, name’s leg’s”

A silence fell over the Café and Ren could hear Sojiro mentally facepalming, Ren couldn’t blame him as he wanted nothing more then to smash his head against the nearest wall or table.

Suddenly all the tension was released as the doctor started to chuckle lightly “You’re definitely an interesting one. I mean I show them off for a reason, but no one has been so blatantly obvious about staring at them like you”

Ren just gave another tired smile as he tried to compose himself somewhat.

“Sorry, it’s just been a long day. I’m Ren. Ren Amamiya”

Tae gave him a small smile, but it quickly fell away as she looked him up and down properly. She moved closer to his face and Ren had to fight his newly acquired instinct to retaliate. She put a hand gently on his cheek and applied slight pressure, Ren bit his Tongue to stop himself hissing in pain, he could tell Tae knew something was wrong, but he hoped Sojiro hadn’t noticed.

She frowned at his reaction before glancing at the owner who was watching them lazily as he cleaned his glasses. She sighed before grabbing her bag. “Thanks’ for the coffee boss. I’ll see you next time” She turned to face Ren with a serious look on her face “Feel free to drop by my clinic if you’re ever feeling ill alright?”

Ren nodded at her proposition, not tired enough to miss the hidden implication of the entire situation. She gave him an approving nod before walking past him. “It was nice meeting you Leg’s”

Ren couldn’t help but smirk at her jab “It’s Ren”

She chuckled softly as she walked out the door “I know what I said”

Ren stared at the doctor as she walked out, watching as she made her way down the street and out of view. He hadn’t noticed Sojiro walk up beside him until he put a hand down on his shoulder. “Word of advice kid if you’re interested in her. Don’t. She so far out of your league that its hurts”

Ren looked at Sojiro before chuckling to himself. “Don’t worry boss, she isn’t my type” Sojiro raised an eyebrow at his wards response before dawning a cocky grin “Oh, and what is your type exactly?” A set of Ruby eyes with a fierce look flashed in his mind and Ren smirked. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually boss. Where’s the fun in just telling you” Sojiro chuckled at the boy’s aloofness before heading back behind the counter to finish washing the glasses.

Ren walked up the stairs and as per his usual routine tossed his bag onto the bed from across the room. He felt himself jump when he heard an angry hiss come from his bag and paled as he remembered how he had gotten himself into the situation downstairs. He rushed over to the bed and quickly unzipped his bag allowing Morgana to escape.

“What’s the big idea tossing me around like I’m sort of stuffed animal”

Ren let out a sigh of relief knowing that he hadn’t accidently injured their only source of information about the metaverse. He sat down on the bed next to the cat rubbing his eyes. “Sorry Morgana forgot you were in there.”

He looked at the cat beside him and saw that he wasn’t happy with the answer, Ren remembered a time when he would feed stray cats back home and decided to try something that had always helped the them relax. He reached over and started to scratch Morgana behind the ear.

“Hey what are yoooou-“

The sentence was cut short by an approving purr and Ren felt his body relax and the smile return to his face. He always liked cats but his father never allowed pets in the house. Ren was so focused on the soft feeling of Morgana’s fur that he didn’t hear footsteps echoing from below.

“Hey kid, I nearly forgot to…”

Both the cat and Ren looked at Sojiro in surprise, Ren felt the colour drain from his face. Sojiro crossed his arms as he glared daggers at Ren. “Care to explain why you brought a cat to this food establishment?” Ren had imagined a lot of ways that he’d fail his probation, but he never thought that getting kicked out for bringing home a stary cat from another realty would ever be a possibility. He quickly racked his brain trying to come up with a response that could possibly justify bringing a walking health code violation into his guardians’ restaurant.

“I found him being bullied by some kids at school. When I scared them off, the thing wouldn’t stop following me”

Morgana looked at Ren in disbelief “Couldn’t you at least give me a cooler backstory”

Ren gave the cat the deadliest side glare he could muster without Sojiro noticing. He looked back at the old man and prayed that he could get away with simply tossing the cat out of the shop. But by the way Sojiro’s face went from extremely aggravated to sympathetic told Ren that he bought the story somewhat.

“Damn kids can be so cruel” he sighed in defeat “Listen kid, taking care of an animal is a big deal. But I do suppose it’ll look good on your record if your responsible for something other then yourself” he turned around and started walking back towards the stairs before stopping and talking over his shoulder “Fine, you can keep him, but he stays up here during business hours and if I find so much as one stary hair downstairs. It’s your ass on the line”

He walked down the stairs and both Morgana and Ren let out a long breath before slumping down on the bed. They looked to each other before smiling lightly.

“Well that could have gone better” Morgana chimed

“Yeah but it could have gone a lot worst. At least boss seems to like cats. I don’t think I’d being able to convince him to let a Pitbull to stay up here”

Morgana didn’t even look at him as he repeated his tried and true line “I’m not a cat”

The conversation was cut short by Sojiro walking back into the room carrying a plate of fish. Ren looked at the man in confusion and felt his jaw drop as the owner sheepishly placed the plate on the ground in front of Morgana.

“Don’t look at me like that, how could I possibly ignore him with all that meowing and purring. Poor thing must be starving”

Ren smiled gently at his Guardian’s actions “You really are a softy underneath all that gruff”

Sojiro frowned at Ren’s comment before remembering what he had originally come upstairs to do in the first place. He fished around in his pocket before pulling out a small envelope and handing to Ren who took it apprehensively. Ren looked over the letter and saw no name or shipping address.

“Where’d this come from?”

Sojiro shrugged as he started to walk away. “I met up with your parole officer, said it’s from your dad” Ren felt a cold sweat come over him as he stared at the envelope in a new light. He hadn’t thought about his dad very much in the past couple weeks with everything going on.

He opened up the letter and saw a note and couple hundred-dollar bills. He ignored the money and looked at the letter, carefully reading over every word.

‘I heard from your parole officer that you arrived late on your first day. I thought I told you to keep your head down and just focus on not drawing attention to yourself. I figured you’d do something like this so I’m telling you this now. If I don’t hear anything negative from your parole officer in the future. I’ll keep giving you this allowance. So please grow up and stay out of trouble.

Dad’

Ren continued to stare at the letter, turning it over in a desperate attempt to find anything else written. Words of encouragement or love. But he couldn’t find them, all that was written were the words that dripped with disappointment and desperation.

He looked down to see Morgana finishing his plate of fish before the cat stared back at him with a cocky grin on his face.

“Look’s like boss already likes me better then you”

Ren smiled bitterly at how deeply the throw away comment stung after reading the letter. He stood up ripping the note into too many pieces to ever salvage, he opened his wallet and pocketed the cash.

He walked over to the desk and opened the draw looking down at his piercings before mumbling under his breath.

“Story of my fucking life.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to start building the relationship between Ren and Makoto.  
> I also wanted to write some cute fluffy stuff after all the persona awakening and whatnot so here it is.
> 
> Would love opinions on how people think the story is going. What I could improve and what's not working.
> 
> Enjoy

“What’s he even still doing here?”

“I heard he tried to fight Kamoshida and is getting expelled”

“Do you think he’s the reason Suzui-san jumped?”

Ren was used to the stares; to the comments. He was even used to the feeling of malcontent that came from his peers. But in hindsight after reading his fathers letter. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. He felt Morgana pop his head out from his bag but made no attempt to hide the animal. He was already facing an impending expulsion, breaking another couple of rules wasn’t going to do much.

“Jeez, do you have to deal with this every morning”

Ren nodded his head, he felt drained despite having slept a full night’s rest without any blue prisons to interrupt him. As he arrived at the front gate and turned the corner to move towards the school, he felt the world fall from under his feet and could only push his hands out to avoid eating the concrete. He sighed in frustration as he looked up at the person who had tripped him.

Of course, it was the last person he wanted to see so early in the morning. Kamoshida stood tall over the boy with a maniacal grin on his face.

“Oh, sorry about that, I didn’t see you coming”

Ren started get back up and felt his wallet drop from his pocket, splaying itself on the ground. Kamoshida quickly snatched it away before Ren could grab it himself. He opened it and eyed the cash stuffed inside. The grin only grew larger and Ren had to resist the urge to try and steal it back.

“Now how would a criminal like you get this kind of money”

Ren remained quiet for a moment before answering. He was fully aware what the teacher was doing, goading him into doing something rash. He held his hand out expectedly in front of the man.

“Pocket money from my rich daddy” he responded monotonously “Now can you cut the bullshit and give me my money back” Ren smiled slightly, even though he knew that laying low and taking the loss would be the best course of action. He’d be lying if he said he want to ruffle the gym teachers feathers just a little. “Or is stealing from students another one of your hobbies. After raping them that is.”

Such a direct accusation might have been a bad idea as Kamoshida’s fist quickly clenched and that cocky smile morphed into one of anger and disgust at Ren. The teacher took one step forward and Ren was worried he was gonna have to suffer yet another beating from the man.

“Ah Amamiya-kun, I’ve been looking for you”

Both men turned towards the voice, Ren saw it was Makoto standing in the doorway, he noticed her breathing was irregular and a slight sheen of sweat was starting to form. He wondered if she had rushed to stop the teacher. He turned to walk towards her but felt a hand grip his shoulder so tightly that it was painful.

“I’m sorry Nijima-san, but I need a moment to teach our delinquent transfer student here some manners”

The 3rd year raised her eyebrow quizzically at her teacher.

“With all due respect Kamoshida, whatever he’s done to upset you can’t be worth ignoring the principle’s orders can it”

Ren was surprised that the girl was defending him but was none the less grateful as he felt the pressure leave his shoulder. He heard the teacher tsk under his breath before walking inside the school past Makoto. Ren felt his tense muscles relax slightly but was quickly put back on edge as he made contact with her intense gaze. While he found her eyes incredibly alluring when they were staring down other people with murderous intent. Being on the receiving end was a bit unnerving.

“Amamiya-kun, I want you to come to student council room during lunch. Am I understood”?

Ren could only nod under the pressure from her stare and felt his mouth go dry as she smiled at his fear. When she turned to leave, he realised that all the students around him were staring and he quickly made his way inside the school after picking up the wallet Kamoshida had dropped in frustration.

Ren slumped into his seat feeling exhausted. Ann eyed him curiously as she fixed her hair. She turned in her seat to face him.

“It’s a bit early to be going to sleep don’t you think. What’s up?”

Before Ren could answer Morgana hopped up on his table “He ran into Kamoshida earlier and now this scary girl with Red eyes wants to see him during lunch” Ren quickly grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck and shoved him underneath his table. He smiled at Ann before ducking underneath to meet him at eyelevel “Keep the pining to after school where you won’t get me into more trouble.

He raised his head to face Ann who was suppressing her laughter. Ren smiled quietly, feeling good having someone to finally talk to in class.

The day went slowly, Ren hardly focused on the classes as he thought of plans to infiltrate the Palace, he wanted to change Kamoshida’s heart as quickly as possible to save himself any further headaches during school, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew he had to cover all their bases to avoid anyone getting injured in the other world. The aching bones he felt from the numerous fights they experienced the previous day showed that while Dia could help circumvent exhaustion within the metaverse. It did little if anything at all to help in the real world.

Smack

Ren could feel a small bump forming on his forehead and he wasn’t sure what had happened. He looked down at his desk to see a small piece of white chalk rolling around. He looked up at a scowling Ushimaru staring him down.

“Mr Amamiya, as much as I don’t care about whether or not you pass or fail here at Shujin. I will not let you daydream during my classes”

Ren rubbed his sore forehead and resisted the urge to throw the chalk back at the teacher. He settled for gritting his teeth and crushing the chalk into a powder within his hand.

As the bell signalling the start of lunch rang, Ren pushed himself up with great effort, when he saw no one was watching him or Ann, he opened his bag in front of his desk and waited for Morgana to get in. He zipped up his bag making sure to leave it open enough for a good amount of air to enter. He handed the bag to Ann but not before looking at Morgana’s face through the hole “Now before you try anything funny with lady Ann here. Don’t forget who feeds you now”

Morgana’s face looked shocked and genuinely offended “I am a gentle man and would never do anything to a lady”

Ren smiled at the cat’s response and gently rubbed his head earning a loud purr from the feline before handing the bag to Ann “I’ll try and finish my business with prez quickly and catch up with you guys”

Ann waved her hand casually “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure Ryuji will survive without having you around for one lunch break”

Ren made his way towards the student council room, with every step closer to his destination, the rumours got more and more ridiculous until he arrived at front of the door as a Yakuza underling coming to steal the student council president and auction her off on the black market. He knocked on the door ready to get the conversation done with and put an end to the rumours that involved the two. He could handle people talking about him behind his back, that was something he got used to quickly back home, but he couldn’t stand when other people were caught up in the ridiculousness of it all.

He waited a moment and when he got closer to the door and heard no sounds coming from inside, he tried to open it. He was surprised to see it open but walked in and let out a grateful sigh of relief as the door closed behind him helping to dull the overloading sounds of the busy school.

He looked around the room and as he thought, there was no one else present, he started to walk around in an attempt to pass time as he waited for Makoto. The room wasn’t particularly large but felt much smaller due the centre being occupied by multiple desks pushed together. Against the wall furthest from him sat a larger desk that he assumed was reserved for the student president. He made his way towards it and saw multiple stacks of papers neatly organised, a big contrast to the paper sprawled about on the centre desk. He could easily see Makoto sitting at her desk, frustrated at her student council’s work ethic before smiling to herself as she completes another document.

He walks over to a couch planted against the wall and sits down. As he rests his head against the cushion he closes his eyes just to think, but as the dull sounds of a school slowly fill his senses and the warm atmosphere of the room calms him down, he can’t stop himself from dozing off into a light slumber.

Makoto quickly made her way to the council room fully cursing her tardiness, in her defence, it was that damn principle of hers that had caused her to be late. She already had a foot out the door before her teacher told her that Principle Kobayakawa needed to see her. Of course when she entered the man’s office, she was asked to give a progress report in which she could only reply that it had only been two hours since she had been given the task which earned her quite the lecture. When she opened the door, she was fully expecting the teen to be long gone, she was prepared to go to the roof that she knew he frequented to drag him by his ear back to the room. What she wasn’t prepared for, was to catch Ren Amamiya, delinquent transfer student and apparent yakuza leader, snoring lightly on the dusty couch they had been provided to ‘Relax’ during the numerous times of crunch.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she closed the door slowly to avoid waking him. She was even less sure why she locked it but the thought of someone else walking in and seeing him defenceless made her feel uneasy and something else. Jealous? She took careful steps forward like the boy was a sleeping lion, she felt stupid doing so considering she’s already approached him when he was sleeping once before but she had witnessed what he was capable of at the rally weeks back. She couldn’t get the image of the boys staring her down with raven wings out of her mind.

She had managed to stand right in front of him without alerting him to her presence and as she stared at the boys relaxed features, she was almost fully convinced that all the rumours were just that. He didn’t wear the face of a killer or even of a seasoned fighter like her late father. Instead, he wore a face that looked tired, tired of the struggle’s life has thrown his way.

The boy stirred slightly causing his hair to fall over his face covering the delicate features and Makoto was surprised by how instinctual it felt for her hand to reach out to move it out of the way. As she pushed the hair behind his ear, the boy mumbled something quiet under his breath before gently pushing his head against her hand. She smiled at his cat like reaction and started to stroke his head slowly, smoothing out his frizzy hair.

Suddenly she felt a strong-arm wrap around her waist and as she was pulled down onto his lap, she couldn’t suppress her yelp of surprise. The loud sound seemed to wake him as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He stared at her quizzically and she could feel her cheeks radiating an intense heat. As he realised what was happening, several emotions appeared on his face, confusion quickly turned into panic and as he let go of the girl, she could see a glimpse of a tired smile before it morphed into the cocky grin he wore around the school.

He stretched his arms out as Makoto quickly rushed to a standing position before straightening her skirt in a desperate attempt to keep her focus off of him. He watched her do this and laughed lightly under his breath.

“Well that was definitely the best nap I’ve had in a long while”

Makoto took a deep breath as she composed herself, she motioned with her hand for him to sit at the table. He raised his eyebrow at her but complied regardless. Makoto still wasn’t sure how anyone got such a dangerous impression of the teen.

As they sat at the table, Ren cut right to the chase.

“So what has the principle forced you to do this time” the way he asked the question made Makoto’s shoulder relax, his tone was playful and showed that he understood this wasn’t her idea, which she was grateful for.

She let out a sigh before clearing her throat.

“I guess it’d just cause more problems if I beat around the bush. The principle wants me to keep tabs on you and report to him any issues you might be causing”

She could see Ren’s posture get slightly tenser. He sat forward and she could tell that she had his full attention.

“But as you could already guess, that wouldn’t be very good for my own studies so let me pose a compromise”

Ren nodded his head.

“Study sessions”

She almost laughed at the way his face contorted into disappointment “I’ll be honest, you built that up way too much” slowly his smile returned. “But I don’t think it’s a bad idea. None of the teachers seem to care about whether or not I do well”

Makoto frowned at his comment. She had worried that the teachers here would write him off, but she had a sliver of hope that they would take pride in their job rather the listen to silly rumours created by the student body.

Ren started to stand up but not before raising to fingers “I have conditions though” Makoto raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms but felt a grin come across her face “Oh? And what makes you think that you’re in any position to negotiate” Ren returned her grin with a sly one of his own “Because this is the second time you’ve decided to watch me sleep rather then wake me. Which is making think that you have some interest in me” Makoto could feel her cheeks blush and she knew Ren noticed by the way he chuckled slightly.

“And we both know I could make you life a living hell if I decide to act like the “criminal transfer student” everyone’s painting me as.”

Makoto rubbed her chin mockingly like she was thinking long and hard about it. She sighed but kept her smile on her face “It will depend on the conditions, but go ahead”

“First, we limit it to twice a week, the specific days don’t matter but I have business that I need to take care of”

She stayed quiet as she pondered the condition. Ideally, she’d just have him study with her every day when she would go to the library, but she knew that wouldn’t be fair on him. As far as she’s seen, he hasn’t done anything to warrant needing constant supervision. And he was already being more the accommodating with the whole ordeal.

“And the second?”

Ren smiled gently at her and She could feel her heart skip a beat. She much preferred this smile to the cocky one he always seemed to maintain.

“You call me Ren. Not Amamiya-san”

Makoto smiled as she let out a small sigh of relief. She stood up and held her hand out in front of him.

“Only if you call me Makoto then. I hate being called student president”

Ren shook her hand in response. “Well I called you student prez to be fair. But deal”

He started to walk towards the door and Makoto went to her desk ready to finish completing a few unfinished documents before she saw Ren standing in front of the door. He turned around with genuine confusion on his face.

“Why’s the door locked?”

Makoto blushed deeply for the third time that day.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it reddit.  
> 100 Kudos.  
> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read my dumb story. I started writing this because I watched Haikyuu and thought it'd be cool for Ren to jump like Hinata but 10 people have decided to bookmark this so that means at least 10 people want to know when it's updated and I think that's really cool.  
> I hope you guys keep enjoying this story and I hope it only gets better from here on out.

Ren walked up the stairs with conflicting emotions plaguing his consious. On one hand, he felt frustrated knowing that the school was monitoring him, he felt even more annoyed by the fact that they dragged an innocent girl just trying to get through her last year of high school into his mess. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel cheerful knowing that his social group in the school that downright wanted him dead was slowly growing. And he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he was okay with spending more time with Makoto. But Ren couldn’t shake the feeling like he was taking advantage of the girls’ situation to help him keep the principle off his back.

His inner turmoil was briefly interrupted by his phone buzzing, he pulled it out from his pocket and stared at the new message he received.

“Hi, this is Makoto. I’m just testing to make sure this is the right number.”

Ren smiled, standing in the middle of the stairway, purposely blocking students who nudged him as they tried to walk past him. He quickly tapped a response.

“Is it really appropriate for the student council president to be using her phone during school hours”

He went to pocket his phone expecting her to ignore his provocation like Ryuji often did but stopped his hand as a new message appeared.

“It’s simply for testing purposes. And you shouldn’t be using your phone either.”

Ren grinned down at his screen, finally starting to move up the stairs again when he felt one too many sets of eyes looking at him with murderous intent. He now found himself on the staircase leading up to the roof, like always, it was empty which gave Ren plenty of time to craft his witty retort.

“I’m a delinquent remember. Breaking rules is in the job description.”

Once again, he received a message not ten seconds later and he could get used to these quick replies.

“Does the job also state that you need to take naps in random places and accept tutoring lessons from the student council president?”

Ren tapped his reply.

“It does when the school doesn’t want you around and you’re being monitored.”

Ren stared down at the unsent message surprised by the bitterness it conveyed. He hadn’t intended it to sound so vitriolic but often when he was messaging people, it became far too easy to speak his mind without a filter. He quickly deleted the message before opting for a more light-hearted response.

“Have you ever read manga? Delinquents nap literally anywhere and everywhere”

There was a pause, the longest time between messages so far and he couldn’t help but laugh at the image of her realising that she had set herself up to fail.

When his phone buzzed and he looked down at the message, his smile waned slightly.

“Just make sure you take the study sessions seriously. We’ll start next Monday.”

He replied with a sticker he found appropriate and when he didn’t receive any more messages, he pocketed his phone before walking to rest of the way up the stairs.

As he stood in front of the door, he could hear a chorus of yelling and laughter and felt his hand hesitate on the handle. He looked own to see it shaking ever so slightly, after a moment to compose himself, he managed to will it to stop. As he opened the door he was saw Ann with her head in her hands as Ryuji was shouting at Morgana who was sitting comfortably on top of the Ac unit.

“Why don’t you say that again down here this time you dumb cat.”

Morgana relaxed his body while looking down at the boy, showing no signs of moving.

“It’s not my fault you’re too uncoordinated to climb up here. And all I was saying is that there’s no way a dumb monkey like you could ever be worthy of having lunch with Ann alone.

Ann raised her head up to look at the scene before groaning.

“Christ how does Ren put up with you two?”

“With ear plugs and a lot of Panadol.”

The three turned their heads in unison at him as he started walking towards the chair he usually sat at. Keeping his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“Hey man, glad you survived.”

Ren stared at Ryuji with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re making it sound like there was a chance I wouldn’t.”

The blonde rubbed his neck nervously “I mean dude, have you not heard about the Nijima glare?”

Memories flashed in his head of the day he had been kicked down the stairs and Makoto had sent a glare that could melt ice at the two who had pushed him. The memory sent a shiver down his spine but probably not for the reason Ryuji suspected.

Ren looked over to Ann who was staring at him with a knowing smirk, he held up a finger to his lips feigning a shush. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get it past the girl but the last thing he needed was his friend, who had a habit of speaking before thinking, to know about his interest in the student council president.

Ryuji who hadn’t noticed the interaction between the two cut the silence with his question.

“So, what did she want anyway?”

Ren sighed both in frustration and relief at the change in subject.

“The principle isn’t exactly thrilled with how I’ve been acting, so he’s making her keep tabs on me for the time being. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of constantly monitoring me, so we made a deal where we study together twice a week.”

Ryuji huffed in frustration at Ren’s predicament.

“So, the principle is fine with Kamoshida abusing kids, but he gets someone to tail you? And for what, some bogus assault charge.”

Ann’s head perked up at the subject.

“That reminds me, what’s up with your record. far as I can tell, you’re a bit of a smart ass but I can’t really see you assaulting someone.”

Ren smiled bitterly; he was grateful that someone else didn’t think he was dangerous, but it didn’t make the fact it took saving her from a metaphysical castle to spur her to ask about his situation any less frustrating.

He looked over to Ryuji which earned him a nod of approval. He took a deep breath before recounting his situation and what led him to Tokyo.

Her response was much quieter than his other blonde friend had been. Whispering at a volume barely audible to the others. “That’s awful.” Ren gave a light smile at her sympathy, appreciating it but not wanting to draw any more attention to it. He stood up and stretched waiting for the bell to ring.

“What’s done is done. It’s not all bad, if it didn’t happen then we wouldn’t have the opportunity to change Kamoshida’s heart.”

He gave the group confident grin “Which means we have a responsibility to see this through to the end”

The others stood up, Ryuji clapping his fist against his open palm and Ann wiping away the tears that prickled at the edges of her eyes before smiling. Morgana hopped down from his perch and climbed into Ren’s bag as the bell signalling the end of lunch rang.

“After school. That’s when this heist truly starts.”

After they had made sure that there wasn’t a soul around that could get caught in the transition. Ren pressed the navigation app and felt a familiar pressure in his stomach as the world dissolved into another. He looked around and was surprised to see Ann standing straight with no signs of nausea, though it had been her third time so maybe it shouldn’t have.

She stared incredulously at her outfit; it wasn’t a stare that showed she hated it but rather was confused about it.

“You said these clothes represent our rebellious spirit. Am I meant to take that as me secretly wanting to be a dominatrix?”

Ren didn’t miss the way Ryuji’s body shuddered at her question. He shrugged in response before walking forward towards the castle speaking over his shoulder.

“It’s hard to say, it could just mean that you’re sick of people viewing you as a sexual object. It might be your way of wanting to be the one who objectifies.”

He walked towards the courtyard as the three discussed the hidden meaning of the latex suit behind him. As he neared the entrance, he heard a familiar sound of a prison door being opened. He felt an intense gaze that drew his attention towards the sound. He struggled to keep his voice from leaking out as he spotted one of his two wardens, Justine holding her clipboard with her neutral expression.

“Trickster, our master wishes to speak with you. Please come this way.”

Ren took a moment to look back at his team, they were still at the gate, none of them seemed to have noticed his absence. He looked back at the blue door and let out a sigh before walking towards it following Justine inside.

When he walked through, he felt his vison blur slightly, and as it returned to normal, he was standing in his cell within the velvet room, he glanced down to see he was still in his thief attire. He looked back up to find Igor in his usual spot tapping his fingers against his desk.

“You’ve done extremely well trickster. You have managed to form several strong bonds. They will be paramount in your rehabilitation.”

Ren took a step forward, feeling the confidence that was commonly stripped from him with his forced visits. He grabbed the bars while looking Igor in the eyes.

“Cut to the chase Igor. Why did you want to see me?”

He felt a sharp pain shoot through his hand which forced him to retract it from the cell bars. He looked down to see Caroline banging her baton against her hand.

“Show some respect inmate. Just because we allowed you to wear those clothes doesn’t change your role here.”

He glared at his warden before looking back to a chuckling Igor.

“It’s quite alright Caroline. It seems our trickster is eager to complete his rehabilitation. But a friendly word of advice.”

Ren felt his entire being tense as the subtle shift in Igor’s tone suddenly dropped any feeling of comradery It held before.

“There is a thin line between confidence and recklessness trickster. You’d do well to remember that.”

And just like that the tone changed back to normal leaving Ren feeling colder than normal despite the many layers of clothes he wore.

“Now back to the topic at hand. I have another tool to help you. Girls if you may?”

With a wave of his hand, Ren’s attention was drawn to where Caroline and Justine were standing, his gaze fell on the contraption they stood next to, the shape looked foreign and all details were covered by an equally large tarp. The two wardens each grabbed a separate corner and pulled the tarp away revealing the new tool.

Ren stood in awe and horror as he gawked at a massive guillotine. It might have been normal sized, but Ren would have no idea as he’s never seen one outside of textbooks or history videos. Unlike the dirty and bloody guillotines that were often shown during the French revolution. The one in front of him was a thing to behold. Beautiful craftsmanship was prevalent in all its small mechanisms and it held the same blue mundane aesthetic that the entire velvet room embodied.

This quality of the device did nothing to appease the growing knot in his stomach when he considered the implications of the tool. He looked back to Igor who’s face never once changed. His fingers never once losing their rhythm as they tapped.

“This will be an important part of your rehabilitation trickster. This guillotine will allow you to perform fusions with your persona. I suggest that you make use of it as much as you can”

Ren listened to the words and carefully considered their meaning. He took a moment to settle his stomach and mind so that his nervousness wouldn’t show as he spoke.

“You want me to sacrifice my persona’s? For what exactly?”

Even though it was highly unlikely. Ren swore he saw Igor’s grin grow even wider.

“To create stronger personas of course. Why not give it try, I’m sure it’ll help in the battles to come.”

Ren could feel the persona’s stirring within his heart, the longer he stared at the guillotine. The more restless they became, as if they were trying to escape. The only persona he could feel remain calm was Arsene. He wasn’t sure if the feeling was there fear of the readiness to be sacrificed but either way. Ren wasn’t about to blindly follow Igor’s instructions.

“I won’t do it; I don’t fully understand what these Personas are, but I do know they aren’t just tools to be used and discarded.”

Igor chuckled, it started off as a quiet ringing before it became unbearably oppressive and loud in Ren’s ear.

When he calmed down, he spoke with intrigue “Very well Trickster, let’s see how far you get sticking to those morals of yours. It will truly be interesting to see if you can still believe in those words when your faced with overwhelming adversity.”

With a snap of his fingers, the cell around him became blurry once again and as he regained his senses. Ren found himself standing in the courtyard with Ryuji’s hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Joker. You good? You’ve been staring off into space for a bit”

Ren stared at Ryuji for a moment before looking back to the blue door he had entered before. Justine stood there before moving her finger to her lips. He shook his head slightly before turning back towards the castle.

“Yeah…I’m good. Let’s do this.”


	20. Chapter 20

“Codenames?”

Ann looked at Ryuji confused. The blond boy just smiled at her before explaining.

“Yeah, we all have one, I’m skull, He’s Joker and the cat’s Mona.”

“I’m not a—"

Morgana hung his head in disappointment.

“I give up.”

Ren listened to Ryuji and Morgana give Ann an introduction to the metaverse as he leaned against the castle door. He was looking at the navigation app for any other functions while keeping an eye out for guards. Normally he would have been over there to help but the experience from the velvet room and Igor’s words were weighing heavily on his mind.

“Let’s see how far you get sticking to those morals of yours.”

Ren honestly couldn’t tell if he was being too rash or too cautious with refusing Igor’s aid. On one hand, all that he’s done and said to Ren has only been of benefit to him in the metaverse, but Ren still couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t exactly in his best interests.

Ren also wasn’t sure if he could believe in the words he spouted. Did he honestly believe that the persona’s that he’s acquired were apart of him in the same way Arsene was? Was the pixie he’s stored in his heart any different from the pixies he’s gone on to slaughter afterwards. Sure, they talked to him when he called upon their powers, but shadows talked too, and he hasn’t had any issues slicing them into ribbons before or after they transformed. There was too much he didn’t understand about this world and Morgana always had a way of giving vague answers.

Ren must have been too deep in thought because it took until Ryuji gripped his shoulder before he came back to reality.

“Dude, you sure you’re okay? That’s twice you’ve spaced out on us.”

Ren shook his head and slapped his face lightly “Yeah, I was just thinking about strategies. You decide on a code name for Ann yet?”

Ryuji beamed at the opportunity to talk about Ann.

“Sure have. Her code name is-

Ann cut him off with her own sly smirk “Panther. Because these two couldn’t come with anything besides kitty or Cougar”

Ren couldn’t contain the laughter that came after he heard the failed attempts, especially the second one. As he wiped away the tears that had started to form, he spied a blushing Ryuji who had his chin tucked against his neck.

“I didn’t know it meant _that._ ”

This only made Ren laugh harder.

After a few minutes of Ren struggling to catch his breath, he walked up and slapped Ryuji on the back playfully.

“You have no idea how much I needed that laugh.”

Ryuji just stared at Ren visibly confused about the situation. Ren stretched his back and started to loosen up his stiff joints before turning swiftly flapping his coat for extra effect. “Let’s get started then.”

Having Ann on the team helped alleviate some of Ren’s concerns from earlier, having a fourth team member made redoing previous rooms much easier and allowed the team to conserve more of its energy. As soon as they had entered the first saferoom to make sure Ann was doing ok, Ren pulled out his phone and looked through the recently visited tab he discovered outside. He started scrolling back and noticed that every Safe room they had been inside the previous day was recorded.

“Hey guys check this out.”

The others gathered around him to look at his phone. Ann and Ryuji looked confused while Morgana just stared at Ren with exaggerated grin.

“You thinking what I’m thinking Joker?”

Ren quickly matched his feline friend’s grin which earned them a combined ‘gross’ from the two blondes. He quickly pressed the navigate button after selecting the last safe room they reached the day before.

“Hold onto your stomachs guys.”

Ryuji stared at Ren with fear and confusion “What’s that supposed to me—”

A sudden wave of distortion washed over the safe room. Morgana and Ren managed to endure it due to their awareness of it happening and Ann must have had an iron stomach because Ryuji quickly grabbed his held his gut and bolted for the far corner of the room before filling the air with sounds of him retching.

After a minute of Ann patting a hunched over Ryuji on the back, the teenager managed to look up for just a moment and glare at Ren who was still smiling in amusement.

“Little warning would be nice.”

Ren had already started walking out the door ignoring Ryuji’s protest and chuckling to himself. The three quickly followed him and they continued their heist, all in better spirits excluding Ryuji who was still tasting the remnants of his lunch.

The team was making good progress through the castle, but Ren could feel his worries starting to get the better of him as he couldn’t help but notice that every subsequent fight was getting more and more drawn out. Ann helped cover some of their weaknesses, but the team still relied on Ren’s unique ability to finish battles. He also noticed that they hadn’t encountered any new shadows for Ren to recruit.

Regardless they still soldiered on and managed to find more safe rooms. As they walked into the third safe room since they started, Ann and Ryuji flopped down onto one of the couches as Ren and Morgana studied a map they had found earlier on.

“You’re positive that the treasure is at the top of the castle?”

Morgana who was standing on the table in a desperate attempt to match Ren’s height crossed his arms as he focused intensely on the piece of paper. “Positive. I just feel it. You know?”

Ren sighed in frustration as he focused his attention back to the map “No I don’t but that’s been the story of my life for the past month, so I’ll take your word for it.”

He felt Ryuji and Ann stand next to him also looking at the map. Ren planted his finger on the paper before stating. “I think we’re here. Which means our best route would be to head through the archive. Towards and up through the cathedral. We climb out onto the courtyard and go from there. Hopefully, we can scale the castle from the outside.”

Ann rested her hand on her chin as she raised her concern “That’s a big gamble. What happens if we can’t scale it? That’s a lot of wasted effort considering how important the archives and cathedral look”

Ren frowned slightly, he agreed with Ann but from what he could see, it was there only way forward. He rolled up the map and shoved it into his coat feeling it disappear much like his knife did. “We’ll just have to figure it out when we get there.”

‘mwhehe’

The three turned to the cat still standing smugly on the table. Having experienced that laugh enough times Ren decided to humour him. “What is it Mona?” With a twirl, Morgana produced what looked like a grappling hook not dissimilar to ones Ren had seen in the spy movies he watched as a child. Ryuji stared at the contraption looking completely lost “Where the hell did you get that?” Morgana lost all the smugness he had, and it was replaced with confusion and worry “I-I don’t remember. I just knew I had it.” Ren walked forward and took the grappling hook from the cat, he inspected it before attaching it to his wrist and aiming it at the ceiling. It didn’t have any buttons or ways of physically activating, so much like his third eye. He willed the tool to shoot out and sure enough, he could hear the sound of the hook implanting itself into the ceiling. He gave the line a swift tug and frowned as a piece of the roof came falling down next to him.

Ann walked around him to examine the damage. She could see the hook still embedded in the piece of drywall. “Look’s like we’ll have to look for studier parts to grapple onto.” Ren retracted the hook and ripped off the debris. He stared at the grappling hook attached to his wrist and glanced up making eye contact with Ryuji. Both boys smiled as memories of cartoons and action movies played out in their minds. Ren turned around and started walking towards the door “Either that. Or some sturdier shadows.”

The team were nearing the 2-hour mark of their infiltration when they entered the archives. Everyone could feel the exhaustion, and Ren couldn’t blame them, Morgana aside, this had been the longest any of them have spent inside the metaverse. After a preliminary check with his third eye he informed the team that the area was free of shadows. “Be vigilant though, we don’t know what will cause them to appear.” The three nodded there heads as they started making there way through the halls, surrounded by shelves filled to the brim with books, when the maze seemed to have no exit, they turned a corner and found a large set of wooden doors, 4 indents marked the doors and they quickly concluded that the only way to open the locked door would be to fill them. Ann took a step forward and ran her finger around the indent. “It looks like we need fill them with books.”

Ren could hear Ryuji groan in frustration “Well that’ll be simple, not like we’re literally surrounded by books.” he saw the blondes’ shoulders slump down and Ann and Morgana quickly followed suit. Ren took a moment to retrace his steps trying to remember if anything felt out of place within the archive. “Didn’t we pass a smaller room earlier?”

Ryuji glanced up at Ren but waved his hand in dismissal “Yeah but that room was also filled to the brim with books.”

Morgana waddled over with more pep then the rest “Wait, some of the books in that room had weird titles. Well compared to the other ones at least.”

Ann started to walk back the way they came, noticing the lack of enthusiasm from the rest of the team “We might as well check it out, beats trying to look around out here.” Ren nodded in agreement and started to follow the girl leaving Morgana and Ryuji grumbling to themselves about more walking. A quick walk back brought them to the room they had discussed and as Morgana had noted, there were several books that looked out of place, Ren activated his third eye just to confirm and sure enough they lit up with a bright blue haze.

Ren squinted as a sharp pain shot in the back of his head and his third eye deactivated itself. He sighed in relief as the pain dissipated. He made a mental note to test out the limits of his ability at a later date as he directed the others to grab the books around the room and soon 4 books laid on the table. Ryuji read the titles out loud “The king, the queen, the princess and the slaves? What the hell are these books?” They all picked up a book and began reading. Ren didn’t get far before he heard Ann slam the queen book against the table. The other two looked at her with concern before Ryuji asked “Panther? What’s up?” even under her mask, he could tell Ann was pale and shaking slightly. “It’s a book about all the girls he-he’s—” She began to shake more violently before the room got considerably warmer as fire began to envelop her hand.

Ren started to move but didn’t have to go far as Ryuji grabbed the girl’s wrist looking her right in the eye. “Trust me Ann, you’re smarter than that. We need the book.” Ren smiled slightly as his friends’ actions and relaxed when he saw Ann’s shaking ease somewhat. He continued to read the princess book and he could feel his blood slowly begin to boil. In the book were countless passages about girls he was grooming but had yet to act on. There was a passage about a particularly annoying blonde bimbo who refused to listen to orders. That one already left Ren pissed off but the one after that made his body seize in anger. It noted an uptight student who thought so highly of herself yet still associated with a criminal. Ren felt a similar urge Ann had when he continued reading about the things the sick bastard wanted to do to what was obviously Makoto.

“What bullshit!”

Ren was taken out of his self-stewing fury by Ryuji’s outburst as he threw the slave book back onto the table “It’s just full of bullshit he’s made up about students who’s tried to oppose him. He called me a monkey and you a dirty street thug.” Morgana hopped onto the desk and laid the king book down on the others “This one is just about how Kamoshida views himself. Pretty self-indulgent.” The three looked to Ren, clearly expecting him to explain the contents of his own book. He looked between Ryuji and Ann. He sighed before closing the book and grabbing the other three “Doesn’t matter what mines about. These are the books we need so let’s head back.” He turned towards the door ignoring the looks the three gave to each other.

The team swiftly made there way back to the large doors that had initially blocked there path, they placed the books in there respective slots and after making quick work of a shadow that had appeared to impede there progress, managed to get the doors open.

Ann, Ryuji and Morgana started walking down the hall eager to reach the next safe room while Ren just stood behind quietly looking back at the archives that he was sure held even more despicable stories. He looked back towards his companions and called out to Morgana “Hey Mona, how far is the next safe room?” The cat looked back at him wearily “I can feel one fairly close. Why?” Ren came up with an idea that would surely lift his spirits. With a smile, he gave his directions “Take Skull with you and scout it out. Panther, I have an important mission for you.”

The others looked cautiously towards each other before splitting up, as Ann walked back towards Ren, he took a step into the archive and grabbed a book off a random shelf. “William’s Blakes proverbs of hell.” Ann caught up and was standing behind him, fidgeting slightly “So what’s the mission Joker?”

Ryuji and Morgana were walking down the hall slowly but steadily. After Morgana had scouted ahead of him, Ryuji followed suit feeling more relaxed knowing there weren’t any shadows in front of them. Morgana matched his pace and Ryuji could tell something was on the cat’s mind. “What’s up Mona, you’ve been on edge since we split up.” Morgana looked up at the blonde “Aren’t you worried about leaving Panther and Joker together.” Ryuji stared at the cat with pure curiosity about the question “Why would I? Joker’s got the hots for Miss prez.”

Morgana continued to stare at Ryuji but now with pure astonishment on his face. Ryuji frowned at the cats weird look “What?” Morgana shook his head before laughing slightly “Nothing, I just wouldn’t have expected you, of all people, to pick up on that.” Ryuji’s frown turned into a glare as he stared down the cat “What’s that supposed to mean—”

“Be quiet… Do you smell that?” Ryuji didn’t listen and continued trying to bicker.

“Don’t shush me you damn cat. What did you—” he cut himself off when he took a breath and smelled the oppressive scent of burning smoke? He quickly turned on his heel and could feel a warmth emanating from where they had come from. He and Morgana looked at each other as concern dawned on their face before racing back towards the archive.

There was a lot of things Ryuji expected to see as he turned the corner. His only two friends beaten to a bloody pulp or them fighting to the death with a shadow.

What he did not expect to see was the two walking out of a burning archive. Ann was giggling at Ren’s expression as he attempted to read a line from a book with a straight face.

As Ren saw him and Morgana he smirked before he started to read from the book out loud “He who desires but acts not, Breed pestilence” So it is written.” He quickly slammed the book closed for dramatic effect.

There was a beat of silence until Ren’s façade broke as he started to laugh through pursed lips which caused Ann to start laughing harder herself. Soon they look like a couple of insane people laughing in front of a burning library. But Ryuji couldn’t help but smile at the two, he had been worried about Ren since he had noticed how he wasn’t running around with that casual smirk he so often held and was happy to seem glimpses of it coming through.

After he had managed to hold in his giggles. Ren straightened up and took a deep breath. He looked down at the book before casually chucking it back into the burning hellscape behind him. “I never did like poetry. Too preachy.” he started walking towards Ryuji and Morgana who were still staring at the two in amazement, Ryuji took a step forward “What the hell happened in there?” Ren and Ann looked at each other like they were felons trying to remember their cover story, after a second Ann shrugged her arms “I was feeling a bit chilly.”

“And books make a very toasty campfire.” Ren added as a particularly large wooden beam fell blocking to path back into the archives. Choosing to ignore it he continued “So did you guys find the safe room yet?”

Morgana and Ryuji could only shake their head in response, Ren slapped Ryuji’s shoulder as he started walking down the hall with Ann in tow “Well let’s get moving then.”

The two were left behind staring at the backs of their teammates when Ryuji asked, “Is it weird that I’m jealous?” Morgana stared at the blonde boy before looking back to Ann and Ren “Of which one?” Ryuji just shrugged as he started to follow the two “Both?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter is already underway. I had initially planned to have 20 and 21 combined but then it'd been over 5000 to 6000 words and I don't think that'd make for fun reading. If some of you are interested in longer chapters then let me know and I'll start keeping it in mind.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy this was a hell of a chapter to write. Editing it was a nightmare so if there are any obvious mistakes I apologise but regardless I hope you all enjoy. 
> 
> I have an important note about the upcoming schedule and future chapters but I'd rather have you guys read it first and then proceed to read the note.

“So, what’s the plan Joker?”

Ren looked around the safe room letting his eyes slowly hover over each of his comrades. They all showed signs of being tired but none of them looked downright exhausted. He removed his mask to let some cool air to blow against his sweating face. “How close are we Morgana?”

The cat frowned as his started focusing on his sixth sense. After a moment of silence, he answered “If I had to guess, I think we’re close to the halfway point.” Ren rubbed his chin as he considered their options, as he was thinking Ann chimed in “We could always come back tomorrow.” Ren shook his head “I’d prefer it if we could avoid coming here two days in a row, it’d be dangerous to come unprepared and tired.” Morgana walked forward on the table “You guys have about two weeks before Kamoshida said he’ll expel you.”

“And Ren has a study session with Nijima-senpai Monday” Ann added, Ren kept his head tilted down as he thought, He mumbled to the room “We’re putting a lot of faith in the idea that Kamoshida will hold true to his word. And every day we wait is another day for him to potentially hurt someone else.”

Ryuji stood up snapping Ren out of his concentration “Why not keep going and see what’s ahead, the chapel might just be another puzzle like the Archives, and if it isn’t, we just run?” Ren stared at his friend feeling a bit less anxious about the whole situation. He opened his coat and pulled out three vials before tossing them to his companions who stared at them in confusion before looking back at Ren. “I found them while we were making our way through the castle, they work similar to Dia and relieve some of the soreness you feel. We’re gonna keep going.”

While they all looked at the vial with apprehension, they quickly steeled themselves as they broke the glass in their hands, the shattered glass vanished leaving a soothing green light that enveloped their bodies. They started moving around the room with more flexibility and lightness then when they entered the room. Each member smiling as they followed Ren out of the safe space ready to press forward in their mission.

The way to the chapel wasn’t as quiet as Ren was hoping, perhaps the archive had simply made him overly confident but Ren knew there was something else, the whole castle was starting to get under his skin, from the way it objectified people into simple tools of lust, how it degraded everyone and everything around him. The princess book and its disgusting detailed passages did little to alleviate this feeling that they had to rush. All of these were driving Ren to push himself and his team further then what was probably necessary, he knew they had time but another part of him was screaming that turning back now would be his downfall and he wasn’t convinced if this was his own feelings or the lingering words of Igor worming their way into his subconscious.

Regardless, the four found themselves standing in front of an ordained set of doors that screamed vanity rather than Beauty. Ren was hesitant to keep moving, doubt still plagued his mind but Ryuji clearly didn’t share his worries as the blonde teenager was already walking past him to open the doors. Before Ren had a chance to voice his concerns, Ryuji had already started to walk inside leaving Ren only able to follow with Ann and Morgana not far behind.

As Ren caught up with his friend, he placed a hand on his shoulder “Hold up skull, this might have been a bad idea.” The blonde turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. “Dude chill, we’re still going strong.” He paused for a moment as he tried to find the words to articulate his feelings, Ryuji continued “You were right, we have do this quickly, not even for our sake but for the sake of those who can’t defend yourself like we can.”

Ren stared at Ryuji, while he wanted his friends words to convince him otherwise, he was still unsure “That’s all well and good but we also have a responsibility to look out for ourselves, we’re the only ones that can stop him and if we fail here, that’s it. It’s game over.”

Ryuji turned his body this time instead of just his head to face Ren punching him lightly in the chest “Joker relax. We can always run if there’s an enemy we can’t deal with. I trust in your abilities. With you by our side, we can take on anything.” Ren had to force a smile in response to Ryuji’s trust.

“Guys, there’s something off about this room.” Morgana quickly interjected cutting off their conversation. “You mean other than the alter to Kamoshida looking directly down at us?” Ryuji responded mockingly as he started walking further into the room. Ren turned to look at Morgana who was shaking his head in denial “No, I feel a shadow, but I don’t see anything.” Everyone’s bodies immediately tensed at the mention of a Shadow.

“Hey, the doors are locked.” Ren whipped his body to face Ann who was struggling to reopen the doors that had apparently closed behind them. Ren felt his stomach drop, he turned back to face the alter Ryuji had mentioned and stared hard at it, despite not having access to his third eye, he could still tell something was off. He continued to stare at it before feeling a cold sweat cover his body as he realised what was wrong. The picture in front him shimmered ever so slightly.

It took a moment for Ren to register the events that took place. He knew that the image in front of him wasn’t real, or at least there was something hidden behind it. He knew that Ryuji had walked the closest to the mirage and he knew that Morgana had sensed a shadow somewhere in the room. All of this happened in a fraction of a second within Ren’s mind and he found himself immediately sprinting towards Ryuji as the fake backdrop vanished and a towering angel clad in armour appeared with a blade being swung directly at Ryuji. Ren had just enough time to reach the teen who had been much slower on the reaction, Ren knew he only had one option.

Ren felt his boot plant firmly on the blonde’s chest. And with as much force as he could muster without any ill intent. He pushed him away from the attack, he breathed a silent sigh of relief when he hadn’t felt anything crack underneath which gave Ren the peace of mind that he had managed to save his friend without seriously injuring him. But that only left Ren with one last problem and he knew there wasn’t a harmless solution to the blade now coming on a direct course with his side.

Ren had no time to dodge, that was fact, so he didn’t even bother considering it. The only way to avoid being cleaved in two was to block. He shoved his right hand into his coat summoning his knife and pulled it out only to slam it down parallel to his left arm before raising said arm vertically to intercept the blade.

SNAP

Ren had never broken a bone in his 17 years of existence. Despite his status as a delinquent and his fair share of fights behind schools and under bridges. The worst pain he had experienced was a sprained ankle or a bruised rib. The pain that he experienced in the short period of time he spent flying through the air away from the shadow was beyond excruciating, it was so painful that Ren couldn’t tell exactly what part of his arm was broken but he could tell that from the way it limply flopped as he sailed through the air that it’s wasn’t something he’d be able to just walk off.

Luckily for Ren, he wasn’t able to feel the pain for long as he felt his back collide with the wall and the air was forcibly expunged from his lungs, the world went black and quiet.

Ren’s eyes slowly opened to reveal he was no longer in the palace, his back was sore, but he connected that to the prison bed he was laying on. After his eyes were fully open, he slowly raised his body and swung his legs over the bed, tentatively touching his left arm which gave no feeling whatsoever. He could feel Igor’s and the twin’s eyes on him, but he made no attempt to look back at them.

“I didn’t expect to see you back here so soon trickster.” Ren snickered at the man’s quip “I’ve only ever come here because you’ve forced me.” A thunderous laughter echoed throughout the prison, so loud that Ren almost had to cover his ears. “You’re sorely mistaken trickster. This,” he waved his hand across the entire room “Is _your_ velvet room, you only end up here because you need it. Whether that’s your own decision or not isn’t up for debate.”

Ren turned his head to face Igor with a glare “Just get on with it Igor, what do you have to tell me.” The long-nosed man simply smiled his wide grin at Ren before pointing in his direction “I believe that is a question you should ask yourself.” Ren turned his gaze towards where Igor was pointing.

In front of him floated his persona, his original persona, Arsene. “Is this where your rebellion will end trickster? I thought you wanted my strength to break free of the chains that had held you down. But now I see you’re simply content with sitting there twiddling your thumbs as your comrade’s fight for their lives. Tell me why is it that you hesitate?”

Ren looked at Arsene with tired eyes before casting his gaze down at the floor. “How can I sacrifice these personas just to gain strength. Doesn’t that make me as bad as the people I’m trying to fight against?” he mumbled lightly, as if he was asking himself and no one else.

A moment of silence passed before Arsene’s laughter filled the prison much like Igor’s had, thought where Igor’s had been oppressive, the laughter coming from Arsene was jovial. He spoke in a boisterous tone once his laughter subsided “You truly are a compassionate one. One might say to your own detriment.” Ren looked back up at Arsene, face full of confusion as he waited for his persona to continue “We are not living being’s trickster, we exist solely to give you the strength to face this worlds cruelty. When you discard one of us for something stronger, you’re simply casting away your weaker self so that you can protect what you care about.”

Ren sat there silently staring at the floor letting the words of the gentleman thief wash over him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Igor’s fingers tapping more impatiently and as soon as the long-nosed man opened his mouth to speak a powerful gust of wind cut him off. “I will be the one to ask him fool.” Arsene looked down at Ren and asked his question “I will ask this only once trickster. Will you foolhardily grasp to your morals in a desperate attempt to hold onto your past self or will you break the shackles and forge a new path in the flames of rebellion?”

Ren slowly stood up raising his head in the process to give Arsene his usual smirk, though it felt different, where the last couple days it had felt forced in a desperate attempt to convince himself he was ok. This one was full of confidence and determination. “My home labelled me as a delinquent. I’ve been labelled a criminal from day one since arriving in Tokyo.” He raised his fist and gave a light bump against Arsene’s chest “But I will be the one to decide who I am from here on out. If they want a delinquent, then I’ll give them hell. If they want a criminal, then I’ll use whatever underhanded trick I need to achieve my goal.” Ren turned to look at Igor “And if I’m going to be forced to become a monster to protect my friends.” He took a step towards the cell, wrapping his hand tightly around the bars until his knuckles became white “Then I’ll become a monster so powerful that god himself won’t be able to stop me.”

A blue haze illuminated Ren’s back and Arsene was no longer in his cell, instead he stood next to the infernal contraption that had caused Ren’s mind grief since the first saw it. He stood there along with his most recent capture Agathion. Ren continued to stare at his persona’s, refusing to look away as he felt it disrespectful. Igor snapped his fingers and the twins walked over to the guillotine; they covered his persona’s in a blue cape before forcing their heads through the hole.

THUNK

The blade collided with their necks with loud thud. The heads of the two persona’s burst into a haze of blue light that began frantically flying around the room outside Ren’s cell. He held his breath as the two lights collided with each other. Dancing together before finally forming into one to reveal its new form.

In front of Ren floated a scantily clad woman with golden locks and black leathery wings. He was transfixed not due her beauty but because of the power she radiated. It was stronger than any persona he had held before, and in that moment, he could feel Arsene calling to him within his heart. The woman floated to his cage and drew her hand tenderly against his face “I am succubus. And from this moment forth you will be my new toy. In exchange I will you give you the strength you desire.” Ren smirked before grabbing her hand and pulling her as close as possible “I’m no one’s toy. You will give me your strength and in return I’ll make sure you have your fun.” He could see the persona blush slightly before smiling seductively at him.

After his last fusion, Ren stood tall in his cell staring at Igor waiting for the man to give his final words before sending him off “There won’t be any other chances trickster, Go forth and strengthen your bonds so that you may save the world from ruin.” Ren smirked as he turned his back on the velvet room attendant, “I’m doing this for my friends. The world can burn for all that I care.” He took two steps before he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He couldn’t stop his feet from collapsing and as soon as his head hit the floor, he was out like a light.

Ren’s eyes cracked open slowly, the bright light of the chapel in contrast to the dull hue of the velvet room stung his eyes. After he managed to get them open, he propped himself on one elbow before pushing himself into a sitting position. He quickly looked over to his left arm when he realised his couldn’t feel it and one glance was all he needed to know that it was broken. He wasn’t sure if the fact he couldn’t feel the pain coming from it was a blessing or simply a sign that it was worst then he could imagine but he decided that was a problem for later when he heard pained yells coming from across the room.

He was able to see his friends pressed up against the far wall from where they entered. Ryuji was the only one standing with both Morgana and Ann on their knees. Each of them was beaten and bruised but it seemed like Ren had sustained the worst injury. Something that he was grateful for.

Ren slowly pushed himself up with his good hand and started walking over. He was oddly calm considering the situation, he felt no need to rush over there. After about 5 steps he pulled off his mask calling upon Succubus who floated around him “Calling me so soon honey, Girls don’t like needy guys.” Ren gave his persona a playful smirk “As much as I’d like to play with you, I need to help my friends.” He could see the persona look over to said friends before giggling “The boy’s cute, mind lending him to me?” Ren was now bracing his hand on the floor with his legs set into a running position, he glanced up to succubus “That depends how useful you are.” Succubus pouted at him before blowing a kiss filled with magic “You’re no fun.” Ren could feel the magic flowing through his body causing his muscles to tighten past a normal human’s limit.

In an explosive burst, Ren pushed off rocketing towards the shadow’s right side, the moment he was in his desired position he planted his foot on the ground to stop himself. He jumped up and with a power he’d never experienced before and spun his body slamming the flat pf his foot against the angels side sending the shadow hurtling away from the four teens into the nearest wall sending up a cloud of dust.

Ren landed with a dull thud, he turned to see his friends staring at him with their mouths wide open, he couldn’t help but smile gently knowing that they were okay. Before he could ask them if they were okay, he heard the shadow start to get back up, he looked at Panther and Morgana and could see their legs trying desperately to get back up, he fished around his jacket before pulling out a couple of glass vials and tossing them to his teammate “Panther, Mona, you guys can sit this one out.” He looked over to Ryuji who’s breathing had remained steady since the fight had started “How about we pay him back for sneaking up on us?” the blonde boy beamed at Ren before slinging his lead pipe over his shoulder.

The two started walking towards the shadow slowly, when they were out of earshot of the other two, Ryuji muttered quietly to Ren “Do you think we can take it by ourselves Joker?” Ren shrugged his shoulders “Doesn’t matter if we can or not. We need to beat him, so we will. Simple as that.” Ryuji chuckled as the casual remark his friend made in such a dire situation.

By the time, the two teens were within running distance of the shadow, the archangel had managed to stand itself back up. Its wings were splayed, and it was floating above the ground. It stared down at Ren and even though its expression remained neutral, Ren could tell it was glaring him which brought a small smile to his face. It pointed its sword directly at the raven-haired teen. “You made a mistake returning child, you would have been better off accepting your fate during your slumber. Lord Kamoshida has given me permission to make you all suffer for the incoveni—” with a snap of his fingers, succubus appeared behind Ren summoning two bolts of lightning that pierced through the shadows wings like spears from the heavens. “You talk too much.”

As the shadow stumbled onto its feet due to its wings no longer capable of flight. It roared before swinging its sword horizontal to the two boys. Unlike the first time it tried this method rendering Ren’s left arm useless, Ryuji was prepared. The blonde teen intercepted the sword with his lead pipe, its thickness acting as a much better shield then Ren’s knife had.

Before the shadow could recover. Ren dashed towards the hand that was holding the sword. The shadow didn’t have any time to react as Ren already had his knife between the chink of armour between the wrist and forearm. As soon as he felt the distinct feeling of flesh being pierced by his knife, he readjusted his grip to allow him the drag the blade around the circumference of the knights wrist detaching the hand from the arm and leaving the sword clattering to the ground.

In a desperate attempt to finish Ren off quickly, the shadow used its other arm to try and punch him, only to be blocked by captain Kidd’s ship. Ryuji took the opportunity to rush past ren with his pipe in hand. He swung his pipe directly at the kneecap of the shadow causing its armour to crumple and forcing the knight to its knee.

Ren jumped away from the shadow and summoned Succubus “Sukukaja” A green light surrounded Ren and the muscles in his legs felt so tight that they were ready to burst. He shouted at Ryuji who had already crushed the other knee rendering it completely immobile. “Skull give me a boost!” He could see a smile of excitement flash on Ryuji’s face before he locked his hands together and braced it against his thigh.

Ren began to run forward throwing all his momentum towards his friend. He took one step into the blondes’ hands before kicking off with Ryuji using all his strength to lift Ren into the air.

Ren flew high above the ground. Higher than either of the boys had expected but Ren felt giddy as he continued to rise further and further up into the air. It wasn’t long before he was nearing the ceiling and he quickly found his feet contacting something solid.

Time felt slow to Ren as his feet planted themselves on the ceiling. He looked up to see his target, the shadow still kneeling on the floor making no effort to move, whether that was because it had resided itself to its fate or simply couldn’t, he had no way of knowing. He glanced over to his friends who were all staring at him in amazement. He could see Ryuji’s mouth moving but the sound was muffled and drowned out by Ren’s own heartbeat.

After what felt like minutes but in realty must have been less than a second. He relented his position up there in heavens knowing full well that his place was down there beside his friends. He pushed himself off with what he felt was the lightest of steps but as the ceiling beneath his feet caved in and crumbled around him, he could tell his perception of realty wasn’t fully correct.

He was hurtling down towards the shadow now with knife in hand, the air catching his tailcoat making it flap uncontrollably. He yelled as loud as he could muster “Come Mokoi.” The bandaged persona followed him on his way down and Ren could feel his body get heavier in an instant. He flipped in the air so that his bottom half was directed downward, he quickly maneuvered the knife so that when Ren was just above the shadow, it’s hilt would be what made contact instead of the blade, with one last guttural yell Ren slammed the hilt directly on the crown of the shadows head, “Skull cracker!” he felt the metal of the helmet crumple underneath the knife’s small point of impact with a bone chilling crack.

The shadow was deathly still but Ren knew better then to leave well enough alone. In a fit of fury that came from agonising over his own sense of self and morals since entering the damned palace. Ren Ripped the knife from its new home lodged in the helmet, turning it over so that the blade was now facing downward and with a thrust holding all his frustration and rage. He drove the blade deep into the same hole that he had just created.

A moment passed before the shadow started to turned to black dust, as it melted away, Ren couldn’t move from his position, sitting on the shoulder of the giant he had just slain and once it had fully disintegrated, Ren could feel himself start to fall incapable of helping himself. He fully expected the hard floor to break his fall but instead he felt the wind around him carry him down saving him from experiencing yet another source of pain. As he drifted slowly down, he felt the exhaustion of the past two days catch up with him and all he could do was struggle in vain to keep his eyes from closing before eventually, the lull in excitement drove him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So due to some personal cirumstance involving my family, the next chapter will probably take longer to write. How long? I'm not sure, I'm hoping it wont take longer then a couple of weeks but I really can't say. So if there isn't any update for a while please be understanding. 
> 
> Thank you all for the support you've given on this story and I hope it'll be worth the wait.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned feeling reinvigorated for this series. Thank you everyone for being understadning and the nice comments.
> 
> I'll keep it brief by saying that as the chapters get longer and longer, there will be more time between each new relaese just so I don't grow to hate writing.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy.

Ren’s eye slowly fluttered open as he found himself staring at a back much larger than his own, he could feel movement despite his legs dangling above the ground and the strong arms holding onto his thighs made him feel safe. He wanted so badly just to close his eyes again and let the steady rhythm of his body shifting up and down lull him back to a slumber, but he managed to hold back his sleep.

After willing his eyes to open just a touch more, he looked up to see a familiar mop of brown hair, its curly nature similar to his own. He looked down and noticed the distance between him and the ground he was being carried above, realising just how large the body of the person holding him was compared to his own.

“Oh darling, I think Ren-kun has woken up.”

Ren’s eyes snapped open fully as he recognised the voice that had just spoken, He spun his head towards it and saw a woman of pure beauty, with long black hair that shone with a silkiness that’d put models to shame, His mother. As her eyes met with Ren’s, she beamed a calm smile while giggling into her hand. “Look at you mister sleepyhead, who was it that wanted so badly to stay at the park just a little longer.” The man holding him who he now recognised as his father chuckled lightly, the deep voice resonating through his body which Ren felt. “He is my son after all. I’d take any opportunity I could get to sleep during school.” His mother sighed while shaking her head, her smile never wavering though, “What I remember is me being asked by the teachers to find out where you snuck off to.”

As they started laughing at memories from the past, Ren’s face became wet with tears, his mother was the first to notice. “Ren-kun what’s wrong?” Ren felt his father’s head shift slightly to look at him “Hey bud, did you have a bad dream?” The sight of his father’s relaxed face only made him cry harder. He shoved his face into his dad’s back in a desperate attempt to hide from the realty he knew was coming back to soon. He felt a cool hand gently stroking the back of his head “It’s ok Ren-kun, Mum and dad will always be here for you.” He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him as the combined senses of his dad’s warm back and mother’s gentle touch lulled him back to sleep.

Ren woke up for the second time to a similar feeling, his body moving despite his legs not being anywhere near the ground. Though where his fathers’ gait had been smooth and effortless, the back he was riding on currently was strained. “Christ for such a lanky guy, the dude weighs a god damn ton.” Ren smiled at the sound of Ryuji’s voice, he quickly wiped away the small tears that had come from his dream before karate chopping the back of the blonde’s head lightly. “Word of advice buddy if you’re ever lucky enough to carry a girl on your back. DO NOT mention her weight.”

Ann and Morgana turned towards the duo when they heard his voice, Ren hopped off Ryuji’s back, taking a moment to steady his feet. When he was confident, he wasn’t gonna fall flat on his ass, he looked up and saw the worried glances they were shooting him. It took a moment for him to realise why they might be concerned and quickly brought his left arm up in front of him to inspect.

He started by wiggling all his digits before slowly squeezing his hand closed and opening back up. After feeling for a couple of minutes and concluding that it wasn’t broken any longer, he and his friends let out a collective sigh of relief.

Ann started explaining what had happened after Ren had passed out. “We quickly surveyed the chapel and couldn’t see any other shadows. Afterwards we started looking through your coat pocket and grabbed every potion we could find.”

Ryuji interjected “Took us like 5 minutes to get them all, it’s like your pockets are freaking black holes or something.”

Ann shot Ryuji a slight glare for interrupting her before continuing “Anyway, we used them to recover as much mana as possible before Morgana and I started using our healing spells. While Ryuji started pouring the healing liquid all over you.”

Morgana butted in, to finish explaining “We were worried that we’d run out of mana before we could fix you fully but eventually we heard—” The three shivered in unison as they all remembered the terrifying sound of Ren’s broken arm snapping and cracking back into place “Basically we got really lucky. We need to be more prepared next time.” Ren nodded his head solemnly, realising that his eagerness to push forward may have lost them his arm at best and their lives at worst.

Three teens were on their way to train station after making sure Ren could move alright before Ryuji stopped dead in his tracks and faced Ren directly. “Ren, I want you to punch me!” the raven haired boy just stared at his friend with his eyebrow raised, Ryuji quickly bowed “It was my recklessness that got you hurt so I want us to be even.” Ren took a step towards the blonde boy, ignoring the shocked looks on Ann’s and Morgana’s face silently pleading for Ren to say no.

“Stand up.” Ryuji slowly started to raise his body keeping his eyes shut tight anticipating a punch. After 30 seconds of feeling nothing, he opened his eyes slightly only to be greeted by Ren flicking him on the forehead. His eyes were now wide open looking at his best friend in confusion, Ren smiled calmly. He turned shoving his hands into his pocket “There, you have been officially punished.”

He started walking away without waiting for the others as they scrambled to catch up. Ryuji was the first to match his pace, struggling to articulate what he wanted to say “Wait, why are you so cool with all this. If I didn’t rush in like that, you wouldn’t have had your arm broken.” Ren just laughed lightly at his friend’s disbelief “Ryuji, I’m no one’s responsibility, I’m the one who agreed to keep pushing forward even though I could see we were tired. _I_ made that decision, and in the end, I feel like it was the right one.” Ren wrapped an arm around Ryuji bringing him closer, “And this just means that I’ll be counting on you to take a bullet for me in the future.” Ryuji’s face went from complete confusion to happily excited in an instant as he punched Ren lightly against the chest “You can count on me.”

“Hey Ren, I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier.” Ren stared at the cat who was laying on his desk as he finished putting on his pyjamas. “Where did you get those new persona’s?” The teen took a moment to think, he wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to say. After a moment, he let out a sigh before sitting down on the bed with a thud, rubbing a hand through his shaggy head of hair, he started explaining. “I don’t exactly know how it happened, but I have the ability to fuse weaker persona’s into stronger ones. That’s all I can say at this point until I look into further. Sorry I can’t give you any more information.”

Morgana pouted at Ren obviously not fully pleased with his response, but Ren wasn’t ready to talk about his experiences in the velvet room yet. Not until he understood Igor’s role in all of this. Ren yawned as Morgana hopped from the desk to his bed, the exhaustion of the earlier fights and mental anguish he went through were catching up with him and he was fully ready to have a nice long sleep in.

“Hey kid get up.” Ren let one of his eyes open ever so slightly while making sure he didn’t move a single muscle on the off chance he could fall back asleep. The sun was shining bright through his window and he told himself he’d have to buy some curtains in the future. Sojiro continue when he saw that Ren was at least conscious “I know it’s your day off, but the café is really busy so you’re helping me out.” Ren groaned slightly while pushing his body to a sitting position. “Are you gonna pay me?” Sojiro huffed a small laugh while turning back towards the stairs “You’re living here rent free, that’s you’re pay.” Ren cocked an eyebrow even though Sojiro couldn’t see him “I thought dad was paying you?”

A moment of silence passed between the two and Ren could see the older gentleman stiffen. “Just get your butt downstairs, we’re packed.” Ren decided to drop the discrepancy as he wasn’t really interested in what the deal was between his father and Sojiro, he had enough on his plate dealing with his own problems without having to worry about his dad’s as well, He quickly threw on a black shirt with a white button up and a pair of grey jeans before he followed Sojiro down the stairs silently cursing Morgana’s freedom as a cat to sleep whenever he wanted.

Sojiro wasn’t kidding when he said the café was busy. Where the small establishment usually held maybe 5 people at one time max. Today every seat was filled, and the smell of Coffee and Curry seemed stronger than ever. Sojiro had Ren put on an apron before ordering him to start taking orders, after every order had been written down Sojiro asked the raven-haired boy “You ever cooked curry before?” Ren nodded as he started chopping carrots and Onions “I used to cook for dad after mum passed away.” The stylish owner blew out a puff of air in relief as he walked away from the pot “Good, you take over stirring and plating when I get to work on the coffee.” Ren nodded in affirmation as he walked past Sojiro grabbing his wooden spoon on the way and got to work.

It was around 3 pm, a good 6 hours after Ren got roped into helping when the café finally began to settle down. Sojiro came up behind Ren who had collapsed onto one of the stools in front of the counter and patted the boy on the shoulder “Thanks kid, you were a big help. You’re free to go as soon as you take out the trash.” Ren grumbled to himself as he willed his legs to stand “I thought Child labour was abolished but look at you re-writing history.” Sojiro chuckled “Oh please, stop whining.” He started to rub his goatee staring at Ren who had walked behind the counter to grab the trash bags from the bins, he clicked his fingers “How about this, as payment for helping me out today and for future busy periods. I’ll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee, and I’ll even help you improve your cooking skills.”

Ren stared at his guardian doubtfully “Why would I need to know how to make a cup of coffee, and my cooking’s fine thank you very much.” Sojiro failed to hold his laughter in and Ren could feel his patience wearing thin “Kid, you’re cooking is passable at best, and besides getting to taste a fine cup of joe every morning. Girls love guys that can make a good cup of coffee.” In an instant, an image of a certain student president sipping on a cup of coffee reading a book flashed in Ren’s mind causing him to blush slightly. He turned towards the door ready to leave but not before mumbling “I’d prefer money, but I guess coffee is fine.” And left a smirking boss chuckling by himself.

Ren walked outside with a bag of trash in each hand, he made his way down the street and prepared to turn the corner into the alley where Sojiro kept the bins for the café but was stopped by a couple of voices. “Is it true?”

“Yeah man, that doctor is giving out drugs that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Ren strained his ears to listen in further on the conversation before a voice from behind startled him “We could use those drugs in the metaverse.” Ren glanced over his shoulder to see Morgana hanging of the awning of the cafe, “We should pop into that doctors office when we get the chance” Ren nodded, he waited for the two boys to leave the alley before throwing away the garbage.

After grabbing his bag from Leblanc, he made his way towards the clinic that Takemi had mentioned. It took a moment before he could find it due to its recessed location. As he approached the front door, he saw the two boys from earlier leaving “Dude what a joke. It’s just some cough medicine.”

The two walked away leaving Ren to reconsider his plans, Morgana popped his head out “Was is just a rumour?” Ren stood on stairs for a moment thinking about whether he should enter, before he had the chance to leave, the door opened and in it stood Tae Takemi who smiled when she saw him. “Well if it isn’t Leg’s-kun, what can I do for you?”

Ren stared at the doctor weighing his options. In theory it couldn’t hurt to ask her about the drugs, but he felt that burning his only bridge with the person who might save his life in the future would be a bad idea. “My left arm is hurting a bit. I just thought it’d be worth having it checked out?” Tae’s smile thinned as she realised, he wasn’t here just to have playful banter, she walked back into her clinic motioning for Ren to follow which he did.

“You can leave your bag and cat out here.” Ren looked at Takemi with his jaw agape which earned him a small giggle as she crossed her arms “You really think I wouldn’t notice the constant purring coming from your bag or how the same cat keeps coming and leaving your bedroom window?” Ren stared down at Morgana who had now slinked as far down into his bag as possible. After he felt that his disappointment had gotten through to his cat, he placed the bag less then gently on the nearest seat and followed Takemi into the exam room.

He sat himself down on the bed and waited for instructions. She raised her eyebrows while waving her clipboard at him. “Well are you gonna strip so I can see your arm or what?” Ren raised his hands to cover his chest as if he were naked “You could buy me dinner before asking for my body.” Takemi chuckled at his retort and Ren was glad that some brevity was added to the oddly tense situation. Takemi moved closer to the bed and started feeling around Ren’s arm, every time she got closer to the part where his arm had been broken, he could feel his muscles tense involuntarily. After a minute of prodding and poking Takemi sighed while walking back to the door. A distinct click filled the room and Ren could swear he felt the room get a few degrees colder.

“So why are you really here because your arm is perfectly fine.” Ren sighed realising how dumb it was to not assume the doctor would be able to tell he was lying about a medical problem. He rubbed the back of his neck as he decided to just bite the bullet “Look, I heard you’re selling some off the market medicine which I could really use.” Takemi narrowed her gaze in Ren’s direction but he didn’t slink away. “For fucks sake who doesn’t know.” Ren strained to hear her curse under her breath “I don’t know what you’ve heard but it’s wrong, now get out—”

“Wait! It’s important so please, let’s make a deal.” Takemi glared at the boy who was now standing a couple inches above her, when she could tell he wasn’t going to back down or drop it, she let out a sigh of defeat “Aren’t you on probation? You shouldn’t be getting involved in the world of shady drugs.” Ren smiled bitterly “Who better to make a deal with a shady doctor then a criminal.”

Takemi couldn’t help but smile at the boys determination as well as sympathise with his situation, whether he really did do something that warranted his record, it didn’t mean he should be subjected to the unjustified cruelty that she was sure he was facing. “Fine. I needed a guinea pig for testing anyways.” She took step forward drawing her hand against his jaw and Ren suddenly felt like a fish in shark infested waters. He took a big gulp “What do you need me to do?” Takemi smiled mischievously as she walked towards her desk pulling out a beaker of red liquid and holding it towards Ren who eyed the liquid suspiciously “Drink it.” He lifted his gaze towards Takemi “What’s in it?” She frowned “Do you want the medicine or not.”

Ren continued to stare at the liquid, he gripped his left arm tightly as memories of yesterday’s battle played in his mind. He grabbed the beaker and downed the contents in one long gulp. He didn’t feel anything immediately but as soon as he started to taste the concoction, he felt lightheaded, it tasted somehow bitter and sweet at the same time. The contrasting flavours made his eyes feel heavy and a familiar sensation overcame Ren. He mumbled what he thought was a curse as he realised, he was going to pass out for the third time in 24 hours before collapsing on the bed.

Ren opened his eyes and groggily tried to sit himself up, the bright light of the exam room intensified his growing headache. He groaned as he rubbed his forehead which garnered the doctor’s attention “Rise and shine my little guinea pig.” She pulled a pen off her clipboard and readied the tip against the paper “How do you feel?”

Ren snorted to himself quietly “Like I just got beat up by a fucking angel.” Takemi didn’t respond but simply raised her eyebrow curiously at the boy, “Sorry, inside joke. I have a bad headache; it feels like someone is bashing a hammer behind my eyes. Oh, and my mouth feels really dry.” There was a moment of silence only broken by the scratching of her pen. After she was finished recording everything Ren had to offer, she recapped the pen and threw it and the clipboard on the table before pulling out a few bottles. She tossed them to Ren who caught them effortlessly and started inspecting the liquid inside “That’s the medicine you’ve been looking for. It’ll help wake you up and act as a powerful painkiller. Best part is that it doesn’t have anything in it that would make it addictive so you can take larger doses then other brands.”

Ren stood up and started walking towards the door when Takemi asked him “You haven’t told me why you needed it in the first place.” Ren smiled lightly before turning the doorknob “If I asked why you made it would you tell me?” Takemi laughed lightly before she turned back to her desk “Fair enough. Come back when you need a refill and I’ll give you some more.” Ren was just about to leave when she added one last thing “Oh and Ren. Whatever it is that you’re doing. Don’t get in over your head. I’d hate to see a good kid like you throw his life away.”

Ren just scoffed lightly to himself as he shut the door behind him “That ship has long since sailed.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I wrote the second half of this chapter when i'm a bit sick so if theres any spelling mistake or grammatical errors I apoligise. I wanted to write a fluffier chapter before getting into more of the palace stuff but I think the Kamoshida arc will be wrapping up soon, I hope you enjoy the chapter while I go pop a bunch of medicine and sleep for a couple days.

SNAP!

Ren’s eyes shot open, now wide awake he gently pulled himself into a sitting position and held onto his aching left arm. He started slowly flexing each of his digits before tenderly touching the part that had been broken, after a few minutes of inspecting, he managed to calm himself down enough to let go and reach for his phone.

He quietly groaned to himself when he saw the time. 5:30, a good 2 hours before his alarm was set to go off. He looked out the window at the still dark streets of Yongen-Jaya contemplating how he was going to keep himself busy. He stared down at his roommate who was happily snoring away with his belly facing the ceiling. He smiled lightly before giving it a little rub. “For all that ‘not a cat’ talk you sure sleep like one.” He quietly whispered.

After about 15 minutes of boredom that Ren spent playing on his phone. He heard a familiar ring of a bell downstairs. He closed his phone and slowly stood up being careful not to wake Morgana. He started making his way downstairs as Sojiro was tying his apron.

“Oh hey. Didn’t expect you to be up this early.” Ren gave a half-hearted smile as he pulled out a stool and sat down. “Yeah well it wasn’t by choice.” The old man looked at him with gentle eyes. “Bad dream?” Ren wondered why his guardian was being soft with him but decided not to ruin the moment by asking. He just nodded his head as he pulled out his phone. They spent some time in silence, neither having anything to say but both enjoying the company regardless. It was around 6 o’clock when a cup was placed in front of Ren.

He eyed it suspiciously before looking up at Sojiro. “First step in learning to make a good cup of coffee is tasting one. You don’t look like your heading back to bed anyways.” Ren smiled while pulling the cup up to his lips. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but he felt it rude to refuse the man’s generous offer.

After taking a sip of the hot liquid, Ren’s eyes opened in amazement at the complex flavours. Where instant coffee always tasted bitter and plain, the coffee in his mouth was something else entirely. It was still bitter but had an acidity that helped cut through it and danced on his taste buds long after he swallowed. He hadn’t even realised how much he had drunk until he saw the owners cocky smile.

Trying his best to avoid blushing, he placed the half empty mug back on the plate. “Well what do you think?” Ren wanted to make a snarky comment to help lowers the man’s ego but all thoughts of being a smartass faded away as he looked down at the mug and yearned to keep drinking. He smiled contently “It tastes like home in an odd way. It’s comforting and warm and just makes me feel relaxed.”

Sojiro’s smirk softened into a genuine smile as he crossed his arms “There may be hope for you yet.” Ren tilted his head slightly waiting for the man to continue “Anyone can make decent tasting coffee kid. But only the people who can truly taste what a good cup has to offer and understand it can make exceptional coffee. By the end of your probation, I will leave you with the skills to open up your own shop.” Ren was awestruck by the man’s passionate words as well as the vote of confidence. All he could think to do to show his gratitude was pick up the cup and finish the remaining drink making sure not to leave a single drop.

The next hour flew by quickly for Ren as he listened to his guardian talk about all the different beans that lined the wall, where each came from, the historical value and flavour profile. What mixed well with what and how they all paired beautifully with curry. The raven-haired boy never once losing interest as he realised just how badly he missed the mundane aspects of his old life, where he could sit down and not worry about what the day had in store for him. He was honestly a little annoyed as his alarm went off signalling the start of his day. He got up from his seat and made his way upstairs to get ready for school when he spied Morgana standing straight on his bed looking wide awake.

Ren raised his eyebrow quizzically at the cat who shrugged before hopping onto the desk next to his bag. “Sounded like you and the boss were having a good time. I didn’t want to get in the way.” Ren’s face softened as he made his way towards the desk and started rubbing the cats head. “Hey! What are you—” Morgana couldn’t contain his purring as Ren started scratching all the right spots “You know Morgana? A lot of humans like having their head rubbed.” The cat gave Ren a slight glare but made no attempt to stop him or escape.

Ren let out a loud yawn as the gentle rays of sunlight warmed up his sore tired body. He looked around the roof seeing Morgana laying comfortably on an air conditioning unit as Ryuji and Ann reminisced about times in middle school. He briefly considered emulating his cat and taking a quick nap but decided to opt for something slightly more productive.

“Ren are you studying?” Ann asked after she noticed how quiet Ren had been for the past 10 minutes. Sure enough, he was using the spare desks for their intended purpose as he had books and notes splayed out across him. “I thought you were studying with Nijima-senpai, why are you wasting your lunch doing it now?”

“Isn’t it obvious, the guy doesn’t want to look dumb in front of her.”

The two teens just stared at Ryuji. Ann’s eyes were wide with surprise while Ren’s were struggling to remain open. “What? Why are you guys looking at me like that? Ren rubbed his eyes as he started packing away his books “How is it that you managed to figure that out but couldn’t tell that Kamoshida was goading you when he broke your leg.” Ryuji pouted at his friend’s reaction “That’s cold dude.” Ren just shrugged as he finished packing “let’s not forget who broke their arm saving you.” Ryuji opened his mouth prepared to say something in response but quickly realised he didn’t have much to stand on as his mouth slowly shut itself leaving Ren staring at his friend smugly. “yeah I got nothing to say to that.”

‘Didn’t think so. Now let’s head back.” Ryuji opened his mouth once again but was quickly interrupted by the bell signalling the end of lunch. He hung his head in annoyance before scratching his hair widely as Ren and Ann left the roof “How the hell does he keep doing that?” he picked his bag up and ran after the two.

THUNK

Ren’s head fell flat against the desk as the final bell rang. He let out an audible groan while Ann quickly gathered her things ready to leave. The blonde ruffled the boy’s shaggy hair. “Is the big bad criminal really so scared of studying with the student president?” Ren looked up and let out a puff of air causing his hair to shift slightly to reveal his face. “Studying yes. President no.”

He slowly brought himself up grabbing his bag ignoring a giggling Ann. They made their way out of the classroom towards the stairs. “Hey look. It’s the school slut and the criminal. Think he’s paying her for sex?”

“She’s probably not even doing it for money.”

Ren clenched his fist as he overheard the two boys behind them laughing away. He started to turn around when he felt an arm grip his shoulder. He moved his head to see Ann shaking her head with a tired smile “Don’t you have a study session to get to?” Ren wanted to shake her hand off and give those guys a good scare but when he saw the way her face was pleading for him to drop it. He let his fist go and returned her smile with one of his own. He watched her walk down the stairs before walking towards the library.

As Ren opened the library door, he could already tell that he wasn’t welcome. Despite the library being a place to study and read, the room was brimming with chatter and laughing. All of which died down as soon as they saw him.

A tense silence came over the room. He scanned around the space looking for his study partner and let out an exasperated sigh as he couldn’t see the head of brown hair he was silently praying for. He reached into his pocket ready to text Makoto but as soon as he started moving his hand, he heard a cacophony of gasps and silent cries of fear. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Makoto was almost sprinting down the stairs. This was the second time she was late to her meeting with Ren and once again, it was the fault of that overbearing principle of hers. She was fully prepared for her study session with Ren when her teacher told her to go see the principle. And sure, enough it was for nothing as the administrator only wanted to know how her investigation was going. She figured at some point she was just going to have to ignore his stupid requests.

She soon found herself standing in front of the library, her breath slightly ragged from her desperate attempt to make up for time but nothing was going to change the fact that she was now 15 minutes late. As she reached for the handle, she was honestly expecting the raven-haired boy to be long gone, fed up with her tardiness and ready to take his chance to escape from studying. But contrary to popular belief, there he sat, at the table that was unofficially reserved for her, not by her own request but from everyone’s unwillingness to sit there. Something felt wrong though.

She had anticipated the boy not wanting to study but the way his body was rigid and his eyes glaring harshly at the pages of his textbook made it look like he wasn’t just annoyed but angry. For a moment she thought that anger was being directed at her for her constantly being late but as she looked more broadly at the room, she only then just realised how quiet the library was, which was oxymoronically unusual as it was always somewhat alive with the buzz of students chatting and studying together.

She took a hesitant step forward towards her table which drew the boy’s attention, his glare felt like it was freezing her body but as he recognised who he was looking at, it swiftly shifted into a tired but warm smile which melted away any fear that she may have been harbouring. She tried to take another step forward when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned to find herself face to face with the second-year librarian. “Nijima senpai. Thank god, he’s been here for fifteen minutes and I don’t know how to ask him to leave.”

Makoto’s brow furrowed slightly, “Why would he need to leave?” The second year stared at her looking dumbfounded at her question and Makoto quickly realised why her study partner was so on edge, she felt it now as everyone looked at her questioningly. They were scared of him and wanted him gone. Makoto shook the girls hand off and walked towards the desk sitting herself down and pulling out her textbooks. “Sorry I’m late Ren-kun. I had some council work that needed sorting.”

Ren smiled and looked back down at his textbook, body relaxing if only marginally. “Let me guess, the principle asked you for a report on me.” Makoto couldn’t help the small blush that came as her lie had been seen through so easily. She hoped that casually talking to the boy would show the others that there fear was misplaced.

How wrong she was.

As they started working through subjects Ren had problems with, she could feel the intensity of everyone’s gaze on her and him. She looked up from her textbook and while he seemed more relaxed then when she arrived, his body still looked rigid as if he were fully prepared for a fight. She had to wonder if this is what he felt on a daily basis when he was at school.

And then the whispers started.

“Why the hell is he even here anyway. It’s not like he has a chance of doing well anyways.”

“I know, he should just leave and let us study in peace.”

“He’s so selfish, just because he screwed up his future doesn’t mean he’s got to make it harder for us.”

“How much you wanna bet that Nijima-senpai is doing this for a college recommendation.”

“Nah I bet he’s screwing her.”

Makoto stood up ready to tell the library to quiet down but before she had a chance to get the words out, Ren had flown out of his chair and was standing in front of the table where the last couple comments had originated from. His back was facing her so she couldn’t see what expression he was making but his next action spoke louder than anything as he brought his legs high into the air and dropping it down in an axe kick motion directly on the centre of the desk causing it rattle and sending bags and stationary flying.

He leaned down towards one of the boys who’s face went deathly pale. “If you want to talk behind my back. Go right ahead. I couldn’t give a fuck. But if you’re really going to claim that you all have a future, then shut the hell up and study like the good little students you think you are. If not. Then fuck off so I don’t have to hear it.” He spoke in a hushed tone that was still plenty loud enough for everyone to hear.

The student he was speaking to quickly glanced towards Makoto and after seeing her, started to smile smugly. “You’re fucked now criminal. You think you can just get away with doing whatever the hell you want.” Ren followed his gaze and saw Makoto standing, he turned his body still keeping his foot planted on the desk. She almost lost her breath when she saw the cocky smirk that he was flashing her. “What do you say Makoto. Am I in trouble?” She couldn’t help but return his smirk with a smug smile of her own as she crossed her arms. “I don’t see why you would be; you were just politely asking these boys to quiet down so we could study in peace.” She looked around the room making eye contact with as many onlookers as possible “Isn’t that right everyone?”

The boys looked on in shock as everyone who had taken part in the staring and gossiping quickly turned back to their books or phones. Showing not a single hint that they had played an active role in the whole situation. They huffed some profanities under their breath as they packed their bags and left the library followed by a dozen onlookers who didn’t want to risk being on the receiving end of Ren and Makoto’s tag team.

After they all left, Ren casually strolled back to their desk which Makoto had already taken her seat at before reopening his book. “Now Nijima-senpai, where were we?”

Ren stretched his arms while letting out a groan as he walked besides Makoto out of the school. He looked up to see the sun starting to set and a quick glance at his phone showed how long they had been studying for. He looked over to the girl beside him who was quickly grading his practice test as they walked. After a few somewhat agonising minutes of silence, he saw her mouth form a smile and handed him back the sheet of paper. “You know if you applied yourself like you did back there, I’m almost positive that you could be top of the grade.”

Ren grinned widely at her compliment before carefully placing the paper back into his bag being sure not to show the sleeping cat to her. He took a few steps forward as she finished sorting through her bag, he rotated himself to face her with a cocky smile on his face “Now we couldn’t have Shujin’s number 1 problem child showing up its top students, now can we?” Makoto rolled her eyes before she started walking towards him. Ren pulled out his phone to check the time once again before sighing. “You know, after all that studying, I’m in the mood to do something mind numbing. Wanna head over to the arcade.”

Makoto stared at Ren with her eyes wider than normal and mouth somewhat agape. When Ren didn’t continue, she quickly realised he was waiting for her answer. “You’re asking me to come to an arcade with you.” Ren turned his head slightly towards her in confusion “Yeah? Is that strange.” Makoto hung her head in a vain attempt to hide her embarrassment. “It’s just… I’ve never been invited to one before.” Ren stared at the girl with intrigue, while he knew that she may be a bit standoffish with her role in the school, he never would have expected her to be that socially distanced from her peers.

He took a step towards and gently grabbed her wrist ‘Well we can’t have that can we. You taught me Algebra, so I’ll teach you how to have some fun. Delinquent style.” Makoto was taken aback by his brashness; it took all her willpower to fight back the blush that came from the simple contact. While a part of her wanted to refuse, to cling to her usual routine, the way he smiled at her gently as the sun set behind him, as well as an earlier text from her sister informing her that she’d be eating dinner alone for yet another night made her unable to resist the smile that came across her face as she let herself be dragged by the boy towards the train station.

As she looked at the teens back, she could swear she saw those jet-black wings that had left breathless in past.

Ren and Makoto soon arrived at the local arcade at Shibuya. They walked in and Ren couldn’t help but giggle as he saw the way Makoto’s eyes were wide at her surrounding which earned him a less then playful punch in the arm. “stop laughing at me.” He put his hands up in mock surrender as he tried to settle down his giggling “Sorry, I just thought you looked cute, like a kid in a candy store for the first time.” Her face immediate went red at the compliment which only made him want to laugh more but the throbbing in his arm kept it from happening.

“So where do we start?” Ren looked around the arcade searching for something he’d think Makoto would like when he realised, he didn’t actually know much about the girl. He rubbed the back of his head before looking back, where he saw her staring intensely at a shooting game, he couldn’t help but be surprised. With a smile, he started walking towards the machine knowing full well that Makoto was following close behind him with excitement shining in her eyes.

After Ren put a couple of coins in the machine, the two picked up their respective pistols. Ren looked at the game while Makoto carefully inspected the piece of plastic in her hand, examining every nook and cranny of the revolver. “I wouldn’t have pinned you as a gun enthusiast.” Ren’s words snapped her out of her concentration, she quickly held the gun out feigning her readiness to play “My dad used to be a police officer, so I guess I just grew up around them.” She took a moment before she continued “Anyways how do we play?”

Ren gave her the run down on the game, explaining how each player would play the same stage and whoever has the most points would be the winner. Makoto’s eyes were wide with anticipation as Ren pressed start and they began their friendly competition.

After the stage was complete, Ren arrogantly swung his gun around his finger where Makoto was staring at the screen annoyed with the results, while it hadn’t been a total one-sided beating, Ren’s point were drastically higher than her own. After Ren was done gloating, he went to put the gun away ready to go to another game when Makato quickly cut him off “One more, I have a feeling for it now. Ren grinned as he readied the pistol for another round “Suit yourself Pres. I won’t go easy.”

Eight games later, Ren found himself against the nearest wall on his hands and knees with his head hung in shame. Makoto stood over him looking at the boy with a mixture of pride and worry. “Ren-kun, are you alright—” Ren put his hand up to stop her from talking any further. “Not another word, my pride can’t take any more of a thrashing.” Makoto couldn’t help but laugh hard at the way Ren was taking his eight-game losing streak and almost doubled over while clutching her stomach. Ren managed to pull himself to his feet purely to look at her in annoyance but soon got swept up in her laughter.

The time was now 6:30 as Ren was walking Makoto home despite her constant claims that she didn’t need an escort. “Seriously Ren, I can take care of myself.” Ren laughed to himself as he started rubbing his arm “Oh I know. I’m still feeling It where you punched me.” This only earned him another punch of equal pain, but he was more impressed by the girl’s ability to hit him in the exact same place as before.

The two settled into a peaceful quiet as they continued their trip, the only sounds coming from the muted noise of the city and their own footsteps. Ren always found comfort in quiet, it was a sign that everything was going well, there were no issues for him to worry about and he could simply leave the world to its own devices. Apparently, Makoto had other ideas. “Would you mind if I asked you a question?” Ren glanced over at her and quickly raised his hands “I plead the fifth.” Makoto wound up for another punch before Ren lowered his hands in surrender “I was joking. Ask away.”

Makoto sighed as she lowered her fist, a small smile tugging at her lips that didn’t go unnoticed by Ren, but he found it prudent not to bring that up in fear of his arm breaking in this reality as well. “I was going to ask why you have so many piercings.” Ren looked at her, unsure of what to say. He took a moment and then looked up to the sky, focusing on the stars as he gathered the thoughts he never actually articulated to anyone.

He must have stared at the open sky for longer then he anticipated because he felt a small tug on his sleeve which snapped him back to reality. He looked back down at the girl who had a worried look on her face. “You don’t have to say if it’s uncomfortable.” He smiled gently at the girl and took a deep breath before finally speaking “When I was 11, My mum got really sick, she always had a weak body and would have moments when she couldn’t leave the house but this was the worst she ever got, she was in and out of the hospital for about 6 months before we were told that she didn’t have much time left. One day she gave me a wrapped box and told me to open it on my birthday.” He went quiet in an attempt to steady his emotions as to not let them interrupt him, the entire time Makoto never let go of his sleeve which brought him a small amount of comfort, he continued “She passed away about a week before my birthday, so on the day I opened up the box and inside was a do it yourself piercing kit and all her old studs and rings she wore when she was a teenager. So, every year on my birthday, I’d pierce my ear much to my father’s chagrin and I’d wear one of the piercings she left me.”

Makoto was quiet, her grip on his sleeve got tighter and tighter as she tried to muster up any words that could help comfort the boy. But instead she only felt a gentle hand on her head slowly rubbing it. She looked up at Ren who was still smiling gently at her “It’s okay Makoto, it wasn’t meant to be a sad story. When I wear her old piercings, in a way make me feel like I’m living the life she should have gotten.”

Makoto had to look back down at the ground to stop her tears from falling, because despite the beautiful words and kind smile, she could tell that Ren was still in pain and was trying his best not to show it because it’s something she did and still does when it comes to her own family. She also knew calling him out on it would do neither of them any good so she instead steeled herself and continued walking home making sure that she never let go of his wrist much like he had done when he brought her to the arcade.

The trip was short, something they were both grateful for as they didn’t have anything else to really say after Ren had dropped that big reveal about his life. So, when they reached her apartment complex, neither were sure how to say goodbye. After a couple minute of silence, Makoto decided to be the one to break it. “Thanks for today Ren, it was a lot more fun then I was honestly expecting.” It seemed to relax Ren as his body untensed, and his smile became smaller but more comfortable. Obviously happy that his story didn’t completely ruin the atmosphere “It stings to know you ever doubted me.” They both chuckled lightly at the joke “We should do this again Makoto, there’s a lot of cool things I’m sure you haven’t had a chance to experience.” Makoto started chapping her chin mockingly before snapping her fingers “Only if you continue to do well during our study sessions.” Ren’s shoulders dropped at the mention of study “Way to take the fun out of exploring Tokyo. But I guess it’s deal.” He raised his hand to Makato who shook it back with a melodramatic vigour.

As Makoto closed the door behind her and she flicked to lights on in the empty apartment. She felt an odd sense of sadness that the day had come to end. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she could say she just had fun for the sake of having fun. Even though she enjoyed studying and doing well on tests. It never felt like she was doing that out of her own volition but because it was expected of her. But whenever she looked at Ren who despite his situation, never stopped trying to bend the world around him so that he could live life how he wanted to.

In the midst of these strange thoughts and feelings she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out and looked at the message that floated on her screen.

“I don’t plan on losing our next match at the arcade, I will beat you :P”

Makoto wasn’t sure why the silly declaration made her feel so calm. But she couldn’t deny that as she held the phone close to her chest, she felt a long-forgotten warmth fill her body and a smile grace her lips at the idea of spending more time with the raven-haired delinquent.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a long time to write between work and getting over being sick so I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> As the chapters continue to get longer, there will be a bigger gap between uploads purely because theres a lot more to edit and more chances for me to wanna change parts so i guess i'll apologise in advance if uploads become less consistant.

Ren and Ann were making their way towards the stairs after then final bell went when they felt an added weight on each of their shoulders. They both turned to see the energetic blonde hanging off them. “Hey guys you ready to mess that cast—” Ryuji was cut short after he felt elbows from each side stab into his ribs. He glared at his two friends who were looking at him incredulously “What the hell guys?”

Ann shook her head disapprovingly “Are you trying to give us away.” His eyes went wide as he started looking around, clearly seeing everyone staring at the three. All of his energy seemed to disappear only to be replaced by him sheepishly rubbing his head “Oh. My bad. Are we still on for today?” Ren smiled, despite all the shit that Ryuji’s hot-blooded nature got him in. He couldn’t help but find it endearing. He wrapped an arm around his best friends’ neck and started moving towards the stairs with Ann tailing close behind still shaking her head but the glimmer of a smile starting to form. “Almost buddy. We just need to make one stop before we head out.”

Ryuji looked at Ren with his head tilted in confusion “Where?” Ren’s smile morphed into one of impish excitement. “You promised to show me where you got that model. Remember?” Ryuji’s smile started to imitate Ren’s as the words spoken were processed. The two quickly found themselves giggling like children as they walked down the steps, no longer caring about the stares and comments they were getting.

Ren stared up at the neon sign that read ‘Untouchable’ with the nothing but dismay on his face. He turned to Ryuji who had the complete opposite expression. “You have got to be kidding me?”

Ryuji’s confused face told Ren that he was in fact not kidding “What’s the problem?” Ren just shook his head as he started walking towards the door. Muttering under his breath “It’s making a lot of sense how you ended up friends with a criminal like me.”

The shop chimed with a cheap electronic doorbell as Ren and Ryuji walked through the doorway. Ren surveyed the shop taking in all the different models and tools for upkeep. The store was dim and quiet, something Ren could appreciate, the only other customer being a heavy-set fellow who embodied a gun enthusiast waiting patiently as the store clerk rung up his order. From the corner of his eye he could see Ryuji bouncing on his feet as he darted from case to case looking at every form of shotgun known to man.

After the customer left the shop, the owner turned to look at the two. His eyes falling over Ren in a way all too familiar, sizing him up much like he did for shadows in the metaverse, by the way his expression didn’t change, he could tell he was indifferent to the black-haired teens presence.

Ryuji was a completely different story.

As soon as the owner caught glimpse of the ball of energy that was Ren’s best friend, he dawned a scowl before opening up a magazine. “What do you two want. I’m not running a day care.” Ren could tell it was a bait but by the way Ryuji stopped bouncing and started walking towards the counter, it wasn’t as clear to his friend “What the hell, I was in here a couple of weeks ago.”

The owner’s eyes never left their place on the magazine “Don’t remember or care. Why are you here?” Ren decided to interject before Ryuji could burn the bridge he hadn’t even walked on yet “We’re looking for model guns.” This managed to drag the owner’s eyes away as he took in Ren’s appearance fully “you’re a gun enthusiast?” Ren shrugged figuring that buttering up the guy by pretending to be something he wasn’t would just piss him off “Can’t say I ever wanna shoot one but I can appreciate the craftsmanship behind them regardless.” The two stared at each other, neither wanting to be the one to concede defeat and continue the conversation. After a moment, the owner smirked while chucking his magazine to the side “Alright, but only you, your friend has to go.”

“That’s total bullsh—”

Ren put a tight grip on Ryuji’s shoulder “Deal.” The two teens made eye contact and Ren was grateful that Ryuji quietly conceded defeat. His shoulders dropped as he started to walk away but not before turning back to Ren and slapping a 50 dollar note in his hand “You better get me something really cool though.” Ren grinned at his friend “I wouldn’t dream of giving you something lame.”

Ren turned back to the shop keeper who had traded his magazine for a lollipop which he was lazily sucking on. Ren eyed the sucker curiously before hearing a distinctive pop as he removed it to speak “What you are looking for?” Ren stepped towards the counter so he could talk at a normal volume “Pistols, Sub machine guns.” He paused for a moment as he looked out the window to see his friend impatiently tapping away at his phone “And some cool looking shotguns.”

The shop keeps gave a neutral grunt as he walked into the back out of Ren’s sight, he was gone for about 10 minutes before returning with several varieties of each gun he’d asked for. Ren grabbed one of the smaller pistols, inspecting its details and craftmanship. “That a Makarov pistol, mainly used by the soviets and known for its compact nature and strong firepower.” Ren smiled as he noticed all the finer points on the model, from its paint all the way down to its clean cuts and rougher textures.

After spending about 10 minutes picking through his team’s new weapons and almost completely emptying his allowance money. Ren had a bag full of model guns and other weapons the owner showed to him. As his final purchase was being rung up, he figured he’d ask one of the two burning questions on his mind “Never caught your name.” The owner side eyed him as he was punching in numbers on the register “That’s because I never gave it to you. You want it, show me you’re gonna be a regular.” Ren took that response as indication not to ask his other question about the man’s tattoo. While he enjoyed being a smartass, he also knew the importance of keeping quiet.

With the final model in his bag, Ren left the shop and walked with Ryuji back to school where they had left Morgana and Ann. Both boys practically drooling in anticipation to try out their new toys on a particular gym teachers fantasy world.

As one world blended into another, the four started walking across the drawbridge, each one inspecting their new weapons that Ren had picked out like children looking at their toys during Christmas. Ren smiled as he continued forward by himself towards the castle when he heard the familiar clang of a metal door opening. “Trickster, our master wishes to speak with you.” Ren looked down at his warden frowning, he turned back towards his team and a smirk started to appear on his face. He wasn’t sure if it was due to his newfound resolve to fight or his relaxing day spent with Makoto rejuvenating him, but he was feeling a bit rebellious. “Tell Igor I’ll speak with him later.” Caroline tilted her head, her face not showing any form of emotion “I’m not sure I understand.” Ren bent his knees so that he was looking at the girl in the eye. “I’m done speaking to the man with long nose on his terms. If Igor really wants to see me so badly then he can come see me himself. If not then he’s gonna just have to wait.”

“Hey dude you good?” Ren turned back towards Ryuji flashing him his cocky grin “Never better.” He winked at Caroline before walking back to meet up with his team “I think it’s time we sent this king to the chopping block.”

The four made their way back to the cathedral with no problems, the shadows from before posing little to no fret to the thieves as their new weapons made short work of them. But that wasn’t the only reason why there were fighting more efficiently, the other three could tell that Ren was in his groove, they stared in awe as he nimbly made his way from shadow to shadow, ripping masks off and devasting them with his new knife and pistol, his energy was infectious. By the time they reached there stopping point from before, Ren had a full collection of Persona’s to draw from and an eagerness to continue where they had been previously halted.

After they managed to scale the walls of the massive room and finally proceed with the heist, they quickly encountered their next challenge on the rooftop plaza. When Ren turned the corner, he nearly had a heart attack at the sight of all the shadows pacing around the open space. He halted everyone’s movement with a silent hand wave, flicking Ryuji as he tried to push past the others to get a look. When he was sure none of the shadows would see, he dashed behind a stack of boxes and waited for each of his friends to follow suit until they were all together in relatively safe area.

“What’s the plan Joker.” Ren stared quietly as he watched each shadows movement, they were all following a set route not deviating even slightly. After he was sure he memorised all their movements, he turned back to his team and decided to have a little fun in the stressful situation “Skull. Pop quiz. What should we do in this situation?” Ryuji’s face paled at the word quiz, but it wasn’t long before he had his finger rubbing his chin as he seriously pondered Ren’s question which almost made Ren break down laughing. “We probably shouldn’t fight them; it’d be bad if we got surrounded.”

Ren clapped his hands as quietly as he could manage “Look at that, there’s hope for him yet.” After the rest got down chuckling at Ryuji’s pouting face, Ren pointed past them towards the wall of the castle. “We climb up there and hop from battlement to battlement until we reach that window. Everyone understand the plan?” The three nodded before they started making their way towards the target destination using boxes and flower beds as cover.

When they reached the bottom of the wall, Ren leaned against it using it as a brace as he interlocked his fingers and bent his knees. “Skull, you go first and pull the others up.” Ryuji gave Ren a thumbs up before taking a few steps back for a run up. He dashed towards the teen and with their combined strength cleanly reached the ledge which he easily pulled himself up. After a couple tense seconds of not seeing the boy, he reappeared with his arm dangling over the edge “Quick, it’s looks like there getting suspicious.” Ren looked at Ann signalling it was her turn. With a run up similar to Ryuji’s, she was sent high into the air before grabbing the blondes outstretched hand.

“Hey! Who goes there?” Ren could hear the footsteps of multiple shadows approaching, and his mind went into overdrive. He moved towards Morgana who had taken a step back ready for his run up. He grabbed the small cat by the scruff of his neck muttering an apology before tossing him towards the other two using the momentum to blast past the shadows that had just turned the corner.

“Joker!” He looked over his shoulder towards his friends who called out to him, he flashed them his smile before giving them a thumbs up. “Keep going, I’ll find a way up.” Without waiting for a response he managed to avoid the shadows and started dashing through the maze of boxes and flowers that adorned the rooftop doing his best to avoid shadows and there attacks, getting nicked by the occasional spear of the ones that had transformed into their mythical forms. He could hear the clacking of hooves behind him as he ran with all his might towards the open window that taunted him 10 metres above. The perfect infiltration point had he not managed to alert every guard to his presence. As he got closer to the said window, he soon realised that there weren’t any abrasions on the surface for him to use as a foot hold and nothing for his grappling hook to attach to. He turned to try and find another way only to come face to face with one of the shadows he was running from, a knight holding a spear riding on the back of a red horse. Smaller than the one that he faced when Ryuji awoke his persona, but he could tell it was far stronger.

As he moved to make some distance, he felt the cool stone wall against his back and his eyes widened as he realised, he had managed to corner himself in the rush to regroup with his friends. The space around him was just barely large enough to fight but not enough to slip past the shadow, not that escaping would lead to anything better, just a larger group of strong monsters. Ren felt his brain scrambling to come up with a plan that would pose the littlest risk to his wellbeing knowing that having to end the heist prematurely due to an injury would deal a bigger blow then any wound he could suffer but as the shadow raised its spear ready to pin Ren to the wall, he heard a deafening blast above and then the clattering of metal on concrete.

He looked at the shadow to see its hand now a smoking wisp of dust. “Joker! Hurry up and do your thing, we can’t hold them off for long.” He stared up at his teammates, Ann and Morgana were shooting off into the distance, most likely to keep the other shadows from ganging up on Ren. He felt a small grin flitter on his face as he brought his gaze back down on the shadow who was standing, staring indifferently at its missing hand. A plan soon graced Ren’s racing mind as he had his foot planted firmly against the wall. He ran directly towards the knight who with no weapon to skewer Ren with simply watched eagerly waiting for its hand to regenerate. When he was directly in front of the shadow, he pushed off the ground high into the air ripping his mask off “Mokoi! Skull cracker.” The green mummy manifested, and Ren felt he body weight increase, he brought his leg high above his head before gravity dragged him back down to earth letting his foot collide against the knight with a dull thud against its armoured head.

Just as Ren had expected, the heavy boot wasn’t enough to defeat the Shadow proving that the Red aura he saw with his third eye was indicative of the Shadow’s strength. What his powered-up kick did do however was leave the knight stunned and unable to move, the horse seemingly connected to the knight forming one being altogether was also completely immobile giving Ren the chance he needed. As his feet contacted the ground he jumped once again, this time angling his body backwards, he called upon succubus and felt the cool air on his face as his mask disappeared “Tarukaja!” He felt his muscles tighten and now all the pieces were falling into the place. He drew his knife and left it to float in the air as his body was nearing its completion of the somersault, when he was at his apex, Ren summoned all the strength his could into his leg, extending it and feeling the hilt of his knife make contact with the top of his foot.

As the energy from his powered-up kick transferred into the small point of the knife, he could hear it cutting through the air before making a distinctive clang as the blade wedged itself deep into the stone. He completed his flip and started dashing towards his new foothold not wanting to see how long the shadow would remain stunned or if its hand had healed. As he reached the wall, he offered a silent prayer too any god that he hoped has had enough fun fucking with his life to cut the boy a break before putting as little weight as he could muster on the lodged blade before using it to push himself up the wall. While it had been better than nothing, it still wasn’t enough for Ren to reach the ledge, once again, a series of ideas and plans flashed in Ren’s mind but before he could put any of them into practice, he felt a strong grip around his wrist which brought him back to realty “I got you. No more showing off for today.” He felt the same strong grip start to pull him and before he knew it, he was lying on his back, a warm and soft carpet beneath and his friends all around on their hands and knees gasping for breath.

“There, that makes us even for the arm breaking thing.” Ren could hear Ryuji struggle to say through panted breaths. Ren managed to drag himself up so that he was sitting while leaning against a raised knee “Pretty sure I’ve saved your ass when we first met as well.” Ryuji didn’t make any attempt to move “What about that time I saved you and Morgana from that massive knight?” Ren smiled coyly at his friend “You would have passed out in the castle had I not dragged you out afterwards.”

“Well let’s not forget who saved both of you when you were floundering around the dungeon.” Ren and Ryuji just glared at Morgana as he waddled towards the two boys “Let’s not forget who you’re living rent free with.”

“Yeah and who gives you food during lunch when you should be hunting birds or something.” Morgana took a small step back at the two’s pressuring gazes, Ann just shook her head at the three’s antics “You guys are so dumb.” A moment of silence filled the room before being broken by all four bursting out into laughter.

After the group managed to quell their giggles and healed up with the help of Morgana and Ann’s magic as well as a couple of potions. The four continued their heist, manoeuvring between halls and rooms taking anything that seemed valuable “Hey joker I’ve been wondering, what does this stuff turn into when we leave.” Ren turned towards Ann who had asked the question after he finished pulling off a golden necklace from a bust of Kamoshida. “It’s weird, the money we get from shadows is normal, but all these statues and gold-plated stuff just turns into normal jewellery. I haven’t figured out how we could sell it, but it doesn’t look that valuable, stuff you could probably find at a flea market.” Ann pouted as they walked down yet another hallway “That sucks, it would have been nice if we could get rich dealing with this asshole’s cognitive world.” Ryuji and Morgana nodded their head in agreement while Ren just kept moving forward deciding not to add anything. While he could argue that doing this for any kind of reward defeated the purpose of why they were fighting. He could also recognise that it’s natural to desire a reward for one’s efforts especially when your risking your life.

After what felt like hours of constant walking and battling. Ren could tell he was running into the previous problem where his Personas were no longer strong enough to deal with the shadows increasing strength. He knew that he should visit Igor but he felt like trying to explain why they’d have to warp back to the front of the castle so Ren could stand still for who knows how long before returning with stronger Personas would be a conversation best left to the end of their infiltration. At least for the moment.

Eventually the four found the next big turning point of the heist as they opened a door to be greeted with a spiralling staircase that went both up and down from their position. As Ren and Morgana looked over the edge of the railing, they could see the bottom far below and the top of the stair case must closer. “Which way’s the treasure Mona?” Ren watched as Morgana sniffed the air “It’s still up.”

“So, we head up then, right?” Ren didn’t answer Ryuji’s question immediately, instead he continued to stare down at the bottom of the spiralling stairs, and more intently at the red door that was sitting there seemingly leading to nowhere. “We’re heading down.” The three looked at Ren like he cracked a bad joke but quickly realised he was serious as he started descending. “Wait why are we wasting time going down their Joker?” Ren didn’t stop moving as he responded “This is Kamoshida’s physical manifestation of his desires. So, I don’t think it makes sense for there to be such an impressive looking door if it just leads to nothing. Call it a hunch but I feel like something important is hiding behind it.”

The four walked down the staircase and soon found themselves standing in front of the door. While not as vainly ordained as the church doors, it was still far more extravagant then any door they had seen in the castle with gold metal accented by a red velvet material. They spent little time admiring the craftsmanship before they started walking towards it only to be cut off by a shadow materialising in front of them.

“Halt Knaves, no one is permitted to enter. Especially not the likes of filthy thieves as yourself.” Ren kept walking towards the door ignoring the shadow as if it weren’t there, his friends staring at him with silent excitement. The shadow was taken aback by Ren’s nonchalant nature, looking only at the teenager while fully disregarding his friends. “You dare ignore me. One of King Kamoshida’s strongest—” The shadow cut itself short as Ren came to stop, slowly pulling out his knife and inspecting it. He looked over the blade making sure it hadn’t been nicked by his earlier stunt while also admiring the craftsmanship. Unlike the original knife he had. The shop owner informed him that the knife was of Indian design much more akin to a machete and it showed easily purely from the size of the blade.

After he was sure that the shadow was focusing only on him, Ren casually tossed the knife high into the air, watching as the shadows gaze was affixed solely on the hovering blade. A beat went by before Ren exploded into action, ducking between the large shadows open feet and deftly climbing up the still unaware being’s back onto his shoulders where it finally noticed him. “Hey what are you—” Ren dug his fingers underneath the shadows mask before quietly saying “I know this speaks more of Kamoshida but every single one of you shadows talk’s way too much.” Before the shadow could even yell in defiance, Ren pulled away the mask, ripping it from the black flesh and pushing of the giants shoulder landing shoulder to shoulder with his friends as they all watched the shadow collapse into itself before reappearing as it’s true form.

…

“So is no one gonna mention how it looks like a peni—”

A crack of a whip silenced the boy as Ann glared daggers at him “Wanna finish what you were saying?” Ryuji didn’t respond with words, only desperately shaking his head. Ann began walking towards the phallic shaped shadow tugging her new barbed whip taut. “I am so sick of dealing with this perverts sick and disgusting mind.” A loud crack echoed in the open space of the hall causing both Ren and Ryuji to lightly grab their family jewels as they witnessed Ann begin whipping the shadow over and over, making sure to drag the barbs across the monsters flesh with each whip.

A deep laughter erupted from the shadow causing the girl to stiffen “You truly are a foolish one coming right to me. One of Kamoshida’s elite guards.” Before Ren could move forward to support Ann, the shadow began to glow with a brightness that forced Ren to shield his eyes, in his periphery he could see a flash of blonde rush past him towards the girl and Ren felt a hole open in his stomach. He forced his eyes towards the shadow and watched in horror as the Shadows body erupted, light filled the room and subsequently his two friends and with it, a pressure and heat that felt unbearable from where he was standing a good couple of metres back. The force of the blast causing both him and Morgana off their feet back towards the stairs, the impact of which knocking the air out of him and making his vision hazy.

As he blinked the stars away, he looked down and felt his mouth go dry as he saw Ryuji and Ann laying still in a crumpled pile. He continued to stare unsure of what to make of their forms, his mind immediately assumed the worst and it took almost all his effort not to yell. It was only after he saw their bodies rising and lowering softly that he managed to calm down enough to actually assess the situation. He looked closely at their bodies to see the extent of their injuries. Ann looked fine if just a bit roughed up, he had to guess she was unconscious due to the impact of hitting the ground but compared to Ryuji, she was ok. His other friend had obviously positioned himself in such a way that he took the brunt of the explosion with his back showing signs of serious burns.

Ren quickly grabbed two bottles of Takemi’s medicine and one regular bottle of medicine that he tossed to Morgana who was starting to recover himself. He poured one of Takemi’s concoctions on Ryuji’s back and watched as the singed skin started to repair itself. “Mona, heal panther and give this to her when she wakes up, both of you work on healing Skull afterwards.” Morgana caught the second bottle Ren passed to him and looked down at the contents before looking back at Ren “Ren I don’t think you should—” Morgana’s words faded to silence as he felt a coldness wash over him from seeing the glare Ren was giving the shadow “You’re advice is duly noted but frankly.” Ren started walking towards the shadow, cracking his knuckles between his gloved hands “I’m not gonna stop until I personally grind that fucker to dust.”

As Ren walked towards the shadow, he could hear the monsters guttural laugh reverberating through the room and passage him above him. While he was sure that it was intended to make the shadow seem intimidating, it only made Ren’s blood boil. He continued forward and felt the cool blaze of blue flames surround him, soon the scantily clad demon succubus was hovering around him “Ooo you look good when your angry. What do you need?” Ren glanced up at his persona, his expression stoic. “Give me all the speed you can.” With a mocking salute, succubus quickly blew a kiss at Ren and he felt the effects of multiple sakukaja wash over his body.

He was now back to where he was standing when the monster originally combusted feeling light on his feet he stood still, pulling out vials of purple liquid before ingesting them, feeling his dwindling mana return. He looked at the shadow and could tell it was talking but the sound was muffled, masked by the beating of his own heart and memory of his friends beaten bodies.

Before the shadow could finish whatever monologue it was spouting, Ren was gone, no trace of him left for the Shadow or Morgana to see. The boy vanished and a moment later he was in front of the shadow with a green mummy floating above his head “SKULL CRACKER!” The ground shook with the impact of Ren’s boot coming straight down on the shadows head masked by a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Ren’s foot was still planted directly on the shadows head, but it showed no sign of damage or even caring about being hit at all. Instead it only laughed at Ren’s attempt “You might be the stupidest one of them all.” Ren didn’t react, he was too focused and gathering data to care about his attack’s ineffectiveness. He understood now why Ann’s whip had no effect on the shadow before and it was due to the compressive nature of its body. He felt it underneath his foot, its whole body was acting like a shock absorber. “Joker watch out!”

Ren pushed himself off the shadow up into the air and watched as spikes of ice erupted from the ground skewering the air where Ren had been standing. While in the air, Ren reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small red sphere. He pulled the pin like a grenade and threw it down with all his might watching it crack against the ice before combusting into a sea of flame turning the spikes into puddles of water and making the shadow flinch, if only a little but more than enough to give Ren an idea.

As he landed back on the ground a couple meters away from the shadow, he pulled out his knife and some metal twine, he started walking back towards the shadow slowly as he wrapped the twine tightly around the hilt of his knife making sure it was properly attached “You really don’t learn do you. Well no matter, in a moment I’ll be ready to explode and this time there will be nothing left of your filthy corpses.” Ren ignored the words coming from the monster, in another flash he was behind it, but instead of lingering this time, Ren stabbed his knife into the shadows flesh not caring about it’s lack of damage and went about executing his plan, he could feel the rumbling beneath him and couldn’t help but smirk a little at the monsters willingness to fall right into his trap, he moved quickly to dodge the ice and dashed around the shadow and after he felt the second spike of ice erupt from below, he knew he had everything under control.

It went on for as long as he could manage with the effects of the buff running out, dashing and jumping all around the shadow making a show of dodging each of the monsters ice skewers and before long Ren was back at his starting position, his breath heavy and his muscles sore. He could hear the shadows laughter from where he stood “No matter, even if I can’t kill you with my ice. My explosion will be more than enough to erase you all.” A large grin graced Ren’s lips as he caught his breath and stood up straight, pulling the line of nylon tight between his fingers “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but thank god you shadows are as arrogant as Kamoshida.”

Before the monster could question Ren’s words. The teens mask disappeared revealing another one of his persona that he received via fusion. A small fairy with amber wings flew beside him. “Agi.” The fairy produced a small spark that dropped down onto the nylon between Ren’s finger and soon the line was ablaze and swiftly travelled down the wire towards the Shadow which screamed in terror. Ren felt the shadow struggle against his grip, but Ren had no plans of letting the line go, easily holding onto it with his gloved hand.

The flames quickly enveloped the shadow and Ren could hear it’s cries of pain but he could tell it still wasn’t enough, he needed just a little more heat but wasn’t sure what to do, He was fully out of mana from Succubus applying his buffs and didn’t have any potions left to restore it. As Ren quickly tried to scramble together a plan, he felt the nylon become scalding hot in his hand, almost causing him to drop it on instinct alone. He looked up to see a column of flame burning around the shadow making the wire glow white with heat. He looked back to see Ann back on her feet, her eyes red from tears and Carmen behind her. “Castrate that piece of shit Joker.” Ren felt his spirit lift as he turned back towards the screaming shadow with a confidant smirk on his face. He grabbed the wire with his other hand ignoring the pain and pulled back with all his strength as he felt the wire tighten around the shadow before its heat started cutting through it. With one final pull, he felt the line go slack and saw a pile of ash lying where the shadow one stood.

Ren quickly turned back towards his friends and rushed over, Ryuji was sitting on one of the steps with Ann behind healing his back, when he saw Ren running towards him, he tried to stand up but felt a strong grip on his shoulder “You even try and move before I’m finished fixing your stupid back and that explosion will be the least of your worries.” He sat back down quickly with his back straight and Ren couldn’t help but collapse to his knees “Joker! Are you alright?” Ren had his face down hiding the smile that was on his lips “Yeah. I’m just happy you guys are alright.”

Ryuji blew some air out of his nose “That might be a bit of stretch. My back is a bit crispier than I’d like.”

The four laughed and after everyone was healed enough to walk. They made there way towards the door. Ren grabbed the handle and started pushing

“Let’s see what’s so important about this room.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry about not posting in a while.   
> I'll be honest, I'm finding it hard to find inspiration for this story right now. It might be because I was working a bit too hard on it and it was no longer becoming fun for me or maybe I'm just a bit tired of Persona 5 content as I've been playing the other shin megami games. Either way, I won't say that this series is dead but I'm not going to force myself to write a story I don't find interesting as that'll just leave no one happy.
> 
> There might be a day when I get really back into this and crank out another 10 chapters but until then I hope you can understand if I don't release anything for a while. I do have a draft that I'll probably release at some point after cleaning it up a bit so you can look forward to that but after. Well who knows.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chpater none the less.

The four stood in front of the door. Each of them battered and bruised in different ways from the previous fight. They shared a look that expressed their readiness for whatever may be behind. Ren placed his hand against the door feeling the cool metal through his glove. With a forceful push, the looming slab of metal creaked open with a groan that filled the expansive stairway.

Ren held his hand up to silently tell the team to hold position. He walked in by himself activating his third eye in the process to quickly scan the room without having to wait for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The room was smaller than he expected considering the size of the door and the shadow that guarded it. The room itself couldn’t have been any bigger than his room in Leblanc and all that was occupying the space was what looked like a dying tree with some sort of fruit sprouting from it.

“It’s all clear, you can come in.” The others quickly followed behind Ren not wanting to let their friend be alone in any part of the castle for longer than necessary. They all walked towards the centre of the room where the tree stood. “What’s up with this creepy tree.” Ren didn’t respond, he walked closer than the rest to examine the fruit that was hanging from it, the skull shaped plant unsettled the boy. “It’s a will seed.” The three turned towards Morgana who had just spoken. The way he muttered it made it seem like he was confirming it with himself, Ren raised an eyebrow “How do you know that?” The cat’s eyes went wide as he realised that he was heard before a pained expression replaced it. “I… don’t know. I just do.” Ren let out a puff of air before turning back towards the fruit “Your amnesia is becoming very convenient. Can you at least tell us what a will seed is?”

Ren felt somewhat guilty when he saw the way Morgana reacted to his statement but decided to apologise later when he wasn’t as tired, he was more concerned about whether this will seed would be worth the risk he imposed on his friends. “The best way I can describe it is as a more condensed form of Kamoshida’s more secretive desires. Think of the palace as the structure of his distorted wills and wants and the will seed as the things he himself isn’t aware of.”

Ren let the explanation process, his eyes never leaving the fruit and its ominous skull shaped appearance, he felt that the longer he stared at it the more unsettling it became. A few minutes of silence passed before Ren made his move. He grabbed the fruit firmly between his gloved fingers and with a swift motion plucked it from its root. The door they entered from slammed shut and everyone went on the defensive. Everyone bar Ren who was still focused on the object within his hand, he could see in his peripheral vision that the tree that held it started to wither away into nothing and while every sign screamed that he had just fallen into a trap, he couldn’t feel any need to worry or escape, the instincts that had gotten him through many fights previously weren’t going off leaving the boy feeling oddly calm.

“You and I are a lot alike criminal.” Ren looked up to find himself standing face to face with a shadow Kamoshida. “Joker watch out—” The three were cut off by Ren holding his hand up signalling them to stay where they were “He isn’t the real one.” He looked the shadow in its eyes before responding “What do you mean?” Kamoshida simply smiled at the teen before extending his arms “I mean I was a lot like you. Nobody wanted me, my family didn’t think much of me, I didn’t have any friends. Girls wouldn’t give me the time of day.” Ren noticed he said that last part with a more bitter tone then the rest but knew better then to call him out on it, deciding to let him continue before offering his own opinion. “But that all changed when I went to the Olympics, everyone loved me, everyone wanted a piece of me. Every girl wanted me to take them.” Ren could feel Ann shifting uncomfortably behind him “But after a while they all forgot about me, now look at me. I’m just some gym teacher and they all want to ride on my coat tails. They don’t understand, I should be treated like god, yet they still ask me to do more and more. Can you really blame me for the things I’ve done? Me taking those stuck-up high school girls for myself, that’s just me taking what I’m owed. You understand don’t you, if you were in my position, you’d do the same.”

Ren didn’t move for a moment, content with tossing the fruit in his hand as he pondered what he just heard. He started to move forward, tossing the seed over his head, hearing Ryuji scramble to catch it. When he was standing toe to toe with Kamoshida, he reached into his pocket while offering the shadow the plastic smile he got used to wearing around those he didn’t care for. In one fluid motion his pulled out his gun before popping a bullet in each of the shadow’s kneecaps, he watched as the mirage of Kamoshida collapsed onto the floor screaming as his smile faded into a glare of hatred and disgust.

He continued to watch the shadow writhe on the floor before bending down to get closer to its face. He grabbed the monster by its hair and tugged it so that his face was angled towards Ren and its eyes were met with the teens. “Don’t ever tell me that you and I are alike. I have suffered plenty of injustice in life, but I have never once felt like I’m owed anything. I’ll use my strength and experience to forge my own path, and I’ll use that strength to help the people I care about. That’s how I’ll validate my life. But you.” He tugged on the shadow’s hair just a little harder “You are a monster. A stain on society. You deserve nothing better than to rot in a prison for the rest of your life. When we’re finished with you, you are going to wish we killed you.” Ren pressed the barrel of his gun beneath the crying shadows chin aiming upwards, not hesitating for even a second before he pulled the trigger and watching as its head disappeared into a puff a black smoke.

Everyone stood deathly still as they watched the events take place and after Ren had finished off the shadow, no one dared make a sound. No one besides Ryuji who had walked towards his friend still awkwardly holding onto the will seed. “You okay dude?” Ren took a deep breath before exhaling it slowly, he turned around showing his friend the confident smile he knew they needed to see. “I will be when I burn this castle to the ground.” Ryuji shook his head indignantly “Dude what is up with you and fire. You sure you weren’t busted for arson?” Ren let out a light chuckle as he recounted the times where he’d burn homework he didn’t want to show his dad before he walked to Ryuji, taking the seed out of his hand and watched as its barky flesh started to glow a deep crimson before it morphed itself into a silver ring.

“Hey guys we have a problem.” The three teens looked at Morgana who was busy trying to push the metal door that had closed behind them. “It’s not opening, I thought after Kamoshida was dealt with then it’d budge, but no dice.”

“For real?” Ryuji ran towards the door banging his shoulder against it in a desperate attempt to force it open, to no one’s surprise, the door remained tightly shut with Ryuji now clutching his shoulder. “You idiot, I don’t have much mana left so make this the last time you get hurt.”

“Hold up Panther.” Ann was stopped just before casting Día by Ren placing a hand gently on her shoulder, she gave the boy a confused look which he reciprocated with a kind one. “Don’t worry, you’ll get to help our hot-blooded friend, but put this ring on first.” She looked between Ren and the ring, the disgust of wearing anything that had any relation to Kamoshida evident on her face. “Trust me on this one.” With a resigned sigh, she took the ring from Ren’s hand before reluctantly slipping it on her index finger. She immediately felt a new power course through her body, she looked at Ren who nodded in Ryuji’s direction, try healing him now.

With Carmen behind her now, Ann conjured the spell that had manifested in her mind, this time instead of Día, the words ‘champions ballad’ flashed and without any hesitation, she spoke them aloud aiming towards Ryuji who was still standing there clutching his shoulder looking at his friends totally perplexed by what was happening.

A green light much like Dia enveloped the blonde boy and soon he could feel his sore shoulder heal itself. After the light had faded, the two teens looked at Ren curious about what it was all about. Ren just grinned as leaned back. “Skull, try blowing the door open with Captain Kidd.” Ryuji didn’t seem impressed with his friends plan. He pointed at the door before stating “Dude, my shoulder can tell you that isn’t a great idea.” Ren just shrugged at Ryuji’s doubt “Just humour me.” With a sigh, the blondes shoulders dropped as he half-heartedly removed his mask summoning his persona behind him.

He pointed at the door blocking their path and with a bit more vigour yelled “Blast it away Captain!” Almost immediately, the four could tell something was different as the persona aimed it’s canon at the metal door. Even without his third eye, Ren could see the power emanating from the skeletal pirate. A moment went by before the Captain unloaded its canon ball at the door with an explosion of magic gunpowder so strong that it sent everyone’s hair flying as the projectile connected with metal, shattering the door into many pieces and leaving both Ryuji and Ann’s jaws on the floor.

Ren moved forward with his lips quirked upwards, he put his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder as he walked past “And that is why we trust Joker’s hunches.” With a chuckle, he left the room with Morgana hopping beside them leaving the two gawking at the damage of their combined effort. “That rings special isn’t it.” Ren nodded, his smile wavering only slightly “I don’t like using something that came from this guy’s mind, but we have to take any advantage we can get.” Ren looked up the staircase, his expression somewhat grim about continuing before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Standing next to him was his best friend “So what’s the plan?”

The team decided to hold a discussion about what to do after they reached the next safe room. They made there way back up the stairs, passing their entry point and continuing further up into new territory. They found themselves standing in front of a door waiting for Ren to make the next move. He tried activating his third eye again but as he had anticipated, he had used it too much since coming into the palace, so he settled for the tried and true method of placing his ear against the cool wooden door, listening out for any signs of enemies. After as few moments he carefully grabbed the handle before twisting it and slowly opened the door. While he hadn’t heard any footsteps, he still heard movement of some kind.

He peeked through the open crack and his eyes went wide with what he saw. The room was large but that was all he could tell as the walls and floors kept morphing in and out of realty, the whole structure of the room seemed to shift before his very eyes. “What the hell is going on?” Ren glanced to his side where Ryuji had waddled beside him to get a look at the room. Morgana hopped onto his head using it as a vantage point much to the blonde’s chagrin “We must be getting close to the treasure; the distortions are getting more and more intense.”

Ren scanned the room looking for anything useful or dangerous when his eyes fell on the only parts that seemed to remain stationary in the ever-changing layout. A set of double doors that screamed vanity on the other side of the room and a familiar mundane door that signalled the entrance to a safe room. Ren stood up stretching his legs before slowly opening the door further and signalling to the rest their new destination. They gave an affirmative nod before readying themselves to follow Ren into the room.

As the four walked through the door, Ren could feel the familiar sensation of eyes watching him. Before he had a chance to investigate the source of the feeling, the door slammed behind the four with the distinct sound of a lock clicking following suit. A gust of wind sent the four staggering away from the door forcing them to the centre of the room where two shadows made their presence known. The shadows took the form of overly muscular men, but that wasn’t what made them hard to look at, It was the what adorned the beasts, each of the shadows hovered in the air with a set of wings but where the angels wings had looked somewhat dignified and classy, these shadow’s wings were avian in nature with odd mismatched colours and the pulsating blood vessels indicating their actual physiological connection to the body, only further reinforced by the grotesque bird head that sat on the floating muscle.

“Well look what we have here brother. I dare say that these are the unwelcome guests that King Kamoshida has told us about.’

“Why I must agree with you their brother. Now what were our orders again.” The shadow rubbed its chin before clicking its fingers. “I just remembered; we are to exterminate—”

BANG

A gunshot echoed through the room piecing one the shadows wings bringing the creature crashing to the floor. Ren quickly spun to face the other with the smoke of the first show still billowing from his pistol “RUN!” The four started dashing towards the safe room as the shadows roared in outrage and followed suit only being kept back by there fear of Ren’s pistol that was letting off precise shots towards there wings. They were halfway towards there destination when Ren’s pistol clicked indicating a lack of rounds in the magazine. After giving the trigger a couple more presses just to be certain, he tossed the weapon with all his strength at the bird hitting it square in the head causing it to relent slightly in it’s chase but that only slowed it down.

They continued to run with all the strength there tired muscles could produce and as Ren watched his 3 friends burst through the door, he felt cold sharp talons dig into his shoulders ripping him away from the safety that was just barely out of reach. He could see the floor get further away from him as he was lifted into the air. He tried to reach for his knife, but the talons lodged in his shoulder made any movement of his arms unbearably painful. As Ren was sure that his final stroke of luck had ran out. He heard the familiar blast of a shotgun echo in the room and one of his shoulders become much lighter. He looked to his right and found the foot of the beast still lodged in his shoulder but no longer attached to the shadow, he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity of escape that his friends had given him, he reached into his coat and pulled out his knife, he knew that from his position that he’d have no chance to actually slay the monster so he instead used the sharp blade to sever the other foot holding onto him.

After he felt the blade cleanly slice through the foot that was the preventing him from free falling towards the hard ground. He felt the weightlessness of his body overtake him as he started his descent, he heard the angered cry of the shadow that had lost its prey and looked up to see it diving towards him. Through gritted teeth, he moved him arm and grabbed him mask “Come Hua Pao.” The small fairy emerged from thin air and followed closely behind as he plummeted towards the earth. With his remaining mana, he willed the persona to shoot out a wall of flames and watched as the shadow’s eyes went wide and stopped in placed seemingly fearful of the fire.

Ren felt the cushioning air of Morgana’s magic catch him and Ren was quickly back on his feet and dashing towards the open safe room ignoring the screeching of birds behind him as he leaped through the open passage and helping Ryuji slam the door shut. “So… Any plans?”

Ren found himself sitting on the couch wrapping his shoulders with bandages as his friends tried to come to a unanimous decision about what to do. Ryuji put his hands on the table “I think we should try and beat them.” Ann crossed her arms and stared at the boy in disbelief “And how do you plan on doing that, we’re running low on potions and did you see what they did to Ren. We should back off for the day.”

“We know what to expect now, we can heal up and come up with a plan. I don’t want to give Kamoshida any more time than necessary. What if taking that will seed thing makes him go crazy or something?” The three looked at Morgana expecting him to have something to say about his theory but they could only hang there heads when they saw the feline shake his head “I don’t know a lot about will seeds, Skull could be right or he could be wrong.” Ann threw up her hands in frustration “That still doesn’t change the fact that we can’t beat those gross bird things yet.”

Ren started to tune there arguing out as he began formulating possible plans. Ryuji was right, they had the advantage of being able to plan out their method of attack this time, unlike what happened with the archangel. Ren could tell that the shadows had an aversion to fire and were susceptible to gun fire. He reached into his coat and pulled out his pistol that had rematerialized there and checked its magazine which was freshly stocked, A quirk of the metaverse where no matter how often he emptied it, it would be refilled at the start of every new battle.

Despite knowing their weaknesses, that didn’t make up for the fact that they were dealing with two enemies that were much faster than any of them. A problem he had a probable solution for but lacked the means of using due to his reluctance to tell his friends about the velvet room.

“Hey dude you good?” Ren snapped back at the sound of Ryuji’s voice and realised that everyone was staring at him with worried eyes as he held the bandage making no effort to actually patch up his wounds. He quickly resumed his task ignoring the question for a second to come up with an excuse only to be asked a much more difficult one “Hey Joker, I didn’t want to pry because it seems like you have your reasons. But where did you get those new personas from anyways. We could really use the extra fire power?” Ren’s body went stiff before he took a deep breath. He looked at his friends and a thought crossed his mind.

Was he really willing to risk the live of the few friends he had found in Tokyo for his own little secret? What was he really scared of, upsetting Igor by breaking a rule that hadn’t actually been placed on him? or was he just scared that if his friends found out that he was special, that if he had an apparent role in all of this, that they’d be scared of him, that they’d not want to associate with him anymore. That’d he’d be alone once again.

He looked at his friends in each of their eyes, examining their concern and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The looks they gave him oddly enough reminded him of the way his mother had looked at him when he was sick of scared of being yelled at. Through a shaky breath he managed to calm his nerves a bit before saying “I have a lot I need to explain.”

Explaining the velvet room was surprisingly easier than he had anticipated. He talked about his first encounter with Arsene on the day he came to Tokyo as well as the strange dreams he’d have at night. He explained his two wardens and their ability to combine weaker persona’ into the stronger ones that they saw. He even told Ann about his third eye and how he had used it to find her in that massive crowd at the station.

After he was done explaining everything, he couldn’t help but hold his breath in anticipation at their response. Many different possibilities ran through his head and while he was sure that they’d still accept him, a small part of his mind was scared shitless that they’d look at him differently from before. What he wasn’t expecting was Ryuji’s exclamation “Dude…That’s so cool.” Ren raised his eyebrow slowly as he felt the air escape his lungs in relief. The blonde rushed towards him with a gleam in his eyes “That means you can get make persona, all these awesome looking bad-ass creatures with crazy powers and you can just make them by fusing others together?” Ren backed away slightly to create some distance between their faces “I guess so?” Before the blonde could close the distance again, Ann had her hand around the boy’s collar dragging him back and taking his place standing menacingly over Ren. He was expecting a strong slap to put him in place for hiding it, his eyes widened in surprise when he felt her arms wrap around his neck and pulling him towards her “You idiot, why would you hide something like that if it was stressing you out like this. I’m already mad at myself for not doing anything for Shiho. Don’t make me worry about you as well dumb ass.” Ren smile as he leaned his head against her body “I’m sorry Panther, I’ll talk about this stuff in the future before I let it get this bad.” She quickly let the boy go before turning around, obviously trying to hide her prickling tears. “You better… You’re our friend after all”

As if to try and brighten the mood, Ryuji slapped Ren on the back causing his fresh wounds to sting with an almost unbearable pain and eliciting a death glare from the raven-haired boy. “Oops, sorry about that. Anyway, why are we still hanging around here, let’s get our trump card a new persona so we can kick those bird-brained shadows asses.” After Ren was tired at glaring of his friend, he lifted himself up and pulled out his phone with a smirk on his face “Sounds like a plan Skull.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the writing quality doesn't seem to be as polished as before. I apologise but I will say that I felt a lot better about writing this chapter then I had when writing the last couple. I think taking time to not think about the story helped myself from railroading myself into certain ideas.
> 
> As before, any feedback is welcome.
> 
> Enjoy

The four stood at the front of the castle, clutching their stomach feeling the effects of the drawn-out expedition and shifting worlds cause a wave of nausea to wash over each of them. While Ren and Ann were able to keep their composure, Ryuji and Morgana weren’t as lucky, both rushing towards the nearest bush to relieve their stomachs.

After a few minutes, the two managed to walk back towards Ann and Ren with wobbly knees and distraught faces “I thought I was finally getting used to the whole warping thing.” Ren peered over the blonde’s shoulder spying a green puddle that laid on top of the grass. He gave his friend a sympathetic smile and smacked him on the back as he walked past towards the metal door “Don’t worry bud, I’ll be sure to refill that stomach with all the ramen you could want.”

Ren had to hold in his laughter as he saw Ryuji’s face turn a deeper shade of green before he slapped his hand against his mouth, most likely to hold back anything that may still left in his stomach “You’re still pissed about me slapping your back earlier aren’t you.” Ren didn’t give a verbal response, instead holding his fingers just an inch apart from each other. The blonde sighed before he started following Ren with Ann and Morgana not far behind. “So where is this velvet room you were talking about?” Ren pointed towards what he assumed was only thin air for his friends but to him was a metal door with a very irate looking warden tapping her foot impatiently.”

“Inmate, you have some nerve making my master wait this long for you—” Ren ignored his wardens berating and walked directly through the doorway fully prepared for whatever punishment Igor was planning to give him. Driven purely by his desire to end this heist as quickly as possible and get his friends out of trouble. A bright light flooded Ren’s senses and he was back in the familiar sterilised velvet room, no matter how often he would go there, he never felt welcomed.

He looked up to see Igor tapping his long fingers against the wooden desk and his other warden looking downcast beside him. It didn’t take a detective to understand that Igor was less the pleased with Ren’s presence “Ah trickster, I’m so pleased that you were able to spare me some of you precious time.” Ren bit his tongue, holding back all the things he would have said had he not been in a hurry. “Igor I really don’t have time for one of your lectures, I need to fuse some personas and—".

Before Ren had a chance to notice. Igor’s fingers stopped tapping and the next thing he knew; he felt an intense weight fall on his shoulders as if a giant was trying to squash him under its palm. Ren tried to keep himself standing but as the pressure continued to build, he could do little to stop his legs from crumbling beneath him forcing him first to his knees and then quickly to his stomach flattening his entire body against the cold floor beneath him. All Ren could do was move his head to meet the man’s eyes.

“Now that I have your attention, maybe you’ll appreciate what I wanted to originally give you before.” Ren couldn’t move a muscle as he watched Igor motion for Caroline to do as he commanded. With little hesitation, the small girl quickly made her way towards an object that Ren didn’t recognise and hastily removed its tarp, revealing to Ren his new tool and removing the wight that was previously holding him down. Perhaps it was due to the weight being gone and being able to breathe normally again or maybe it was happiness that Igor was letting him get away with what equated to a slap on the wrist but as he stared at the cold metallic electric chair in front of him, he could feel his body relax, if only slightly. With still shaking legs he looked back to Igor knowing full well that the long-nosed man was itching to explain his new toy. “I present to you trickster my final gift.” he motioned to the chair with his hand like a game show host “With this chair, you can sacrifice your persona’s to transform them into weapons inconceivable in realty, surely it’ll come in handy for future battles. And that’s not all. Girls.” Ren looked down as his wardens sauntered up to his cell, both holding onto a comically large book. “This is the compendium, we will record every persona you recruit and create and for a nominal fee, you can use this book to summon past personas.” The two explained in unison, Ren’s eyes widened as he realised exactly what they meant. He didn’t hesitate as he asked, “Can you bring him back?” The two girls looked to each other and Ren was almost certain that he saw the faintest glimmer of a smile ghost their lips as they opened the book.

Ren stared in awe as he saw the pages begin to turn on their own, slowly as first before quickly picking up in speed as the wind around them began to quicken as well. He couldn’t stop the widest grin from growing on his face as he saw the wind begin to form into a vortex obscuring a part of his view before revealing an old friend. There he floated, dressed in a shining red suit and jet-black wings. His first persona. Arsene.

“Trickster. It is good to see you once again.” Ren only smiled in response as he held out a fist towards the floating gentleman thief waiting patiently for his persona to return the gesture, which he did with no hesitation. He looked back at Igor who was happily tapping his fingers. “As much as I know you’d love to hear me apologise and thank you for your gifts Igor. I’m in a bit of a hurry so I won’t be staying for long.”

“I take it you didn’t summon me simply to talk. Surely you have a plan.” Ren felt a sadistic smile start to form on his lips as he looked at his first persona and pointed past him. “Get in the chair.”

Ren was in the process of exiting the velvet room when he heard Igor’s deep voice speak to him. “Trickster, I went easy on your punishment but that’s only for the sake of making sure you next fight is fair. Do not expect to get away with such insolence in the future.” Ren stopped moving after hearing the man’s words, he smiled lightly to himself before holding his right hand over his shoulder proudly displaying his middle finger. “If I’m going to be playing your game then don’t expect me to play by the rules.” He didn’t wait for a response before he walked to the end of the cell and exited his personal prison.

“Hey dude, how’d everything go?” Ren looked at his friends and finally felt like he could breathe easy again. He smirked at his band of thieves as he called upon one of his new persona’s and brandished his new knife. “Koppa Tengu!” A man of smaller stature with wings appeared behind the Raven-haired trickster to a muted reaction from his blonde friend. “Uh, is he our trump card? Gonna be honest, he looks kinda weak.” Ren rolled his eyes but kept his smile, he walked past his blonde friend patting him on the shoulder “Come on, when have my plans ever gone wrong?”

“Uh—” Ren held out his finger interrupting Ryuji mid-sentence “Rhetorical.”

After another warp, the four were standing back in the room they had previously been in. They could hear the shadows outsides flapping their wings and occasionally beating on the door in a vain attempt to break it down. Ren looked to each of his friends with a smirk. “Everyone know the plan?” He watched them nod their head, each adorning a smile with similar energy to his. Ren’s own grew larger as he started bending his knees. “Alright then on my mark.” Ryuji walked to the door grabbing its handle, ready to open it at Ren’s signal, he felt a small weight hold onto his back and the effects of Ann’s healing buff strengthen his tired body.

Ren listened carefully, tuning out all other sense that weren’t important, focusing solely on the sound of the shadow’s wings flapping outside the door, he continued to listen and slowly started to figure the pattern they were taking and finally after 5 minutes of painful silence from everyone, he whispered under his breath “Koppa Tengu. Sukukaja.” A beat passed before Ren yelled “NOW!” Ryuji yanked the door open and Ren didn’t waste a second propelling himself forward with an arm outstretched. When he felt a feathery neck collide with his forearm, he knew his timing was perfect as he went sailing across the large room with a shadow coming along for the ride.

The two scaled the entire distance in less than a few seconds before Ren used his momentum to launch the shadow ahead of him into the wall, he watched as the concrete cracked under the pressure and for a moment he was hoping that was all it would take to deal with enemy. A notion quickly snuffed as the dust settled revealing a fuming shadow picking himself out of the wall. “I’m going to enjoy ripping you to shreds!” The shadow swiftly closed the distance at a blistering speed with talons outstretched ready to dig themselves into Ren’s arms.

Only this time, instead of the familiar sensation of razor-sharp claws piercing flesh, the shadow only found itself grasping at empty air. Its face quickly went from confused to panicked as it noticed Ren’s presence behind it. Just in time to turn its face directly into Ren’s boot, sending it flying even further from its companion who was busy dealing with Ryuji and Ann. As the shadow started to prop itself back up, Ren started sauntering towards the abomination twirling his knife in the air. “Now I haven’t even paid you back for first flight you took me on.” The shadow produced a low growl from its throat before lunging again at the trickster with a speed far beyond anything a normal human could react to. But once again, instead of the feeling of ripping deep into flesh, it only felt a cold metal scraping against both its talons.

Ren stood there with each of the shadows feet against his knifes. In his left was the knife he bought from Iwai and in his right was a new knife. A thin blade protruding from the top of a Cane, a weapon born from his persona’s soul. Ren looked past his crossed arms directly at the shadow “Shall we dance?” With a speed that rivalled the shadows, Ren brought his foot with pointed toes directly against the monster’s temple dazing the creature, Ren let both of his knifes disappear and used his now free hands to prop himself against the ground using the leverage to rocket his foot upwards catching the shadow under its chin sending the beast into the air. Before it could get too high up, Ren grabbed the beast by its foot and with his enhanced strength slammed the shadow into the ground cracking the marble floor and sending shards of concrete and dust flying.

Using the momentum, Ren threw himself into the air and brought both his knifes out before diving back towards the ground sinking both blades into the shadow’s wings pinning it to floor. Ren raised his foot into the air but felt his vision blur as his body became heavy. Realising too late that the buffs had worn off leaving him unable to avoid the shadows talons that raised behind him and threw him back. As his back collided with the hard floor, he felt the air forced out of his lungs leaving the teen winded and unable to react as the shadows human hands wrapped around his throat holding him in place. He managed to glance back to where he had pinned it and saw two patches of feathered wings still pinned beneath his knifes.

“You did well to match my speed. And for that I’ll give you a quick death.” As Ren felt the pressure tighten around his throat. He could only manage to do one last thing.

He laughed.

As he continued to laugh, he felt the pressure loosen and saw the shadows confused face which only caused him to laugher harder. The shadows face quickly turned from confusion to frustration at the boy’s lack of concern and growled “What is so funny.” Between short breaths, Ren managed to reply, “How many people are fighting your brother.” The shadow glanced to its side but not wanting to let his prey potentially slip away, wasn’t able to see his counterpart, but Ren continued regardless “I’ll give you a hint, half my team is fighting him. And there’s two of them.” In the moment it took the shadow to figure out the meaning of Ren’s word, one of Ren’s knifes pierced the shadows neck, it slumped forward slightly revealing the small body of Morgana who had jumped off Ren’s back during the fight. Before the beast could resist, Ren reach behind the shadows neck grabbing the hilt of his knife and twisted it until it tore through shadows neck, successfully ending its life and turning it to dust.

Fatigue washed over Ren but he managed to keep himself from passing out, with the help of Morgana, he propped himself so that he was sitting just in time to watch the second shadow lunging towards him in what he could only imagine was a blind fury for killing his brother. Ren didn’t even flinch though as he saw Ann’s barbed whip wrap tightly around the shadows foot causing it to plant itself directly into the ground giving Ryuji enough time to sprint towards an immobilised shadow smashing it’s head with his mace like it was a tee ball.

Ren watched the second shadow turn to dust and let out a sigh of relief before falling flat on his back, it took all his willpower to keep his eyes open but he managed to stave off the desire to sleep as his friends walked over to him and Morgana “You good dude?” Ren couldn’t bring himself to respond so he just gave a tired thumbs up. Even though he couldn’t see their faces, he could tell they were rolling their eyes with a smile before they both reached out to help him stand.

He tried to move towards the large doors but as soon as he took his first step, the stiffness in his joints and muscles threatened to send him falling, but before his knees could give out, he felt and arm under each of his shoulders. He looked to his sides and saw two heads of blonde hair holding him up “If you can’t move just say so you idiot.”

“Yeah what she said.” Ren smiled and let his head dip so that his hair would help cover his bashfulness. The four started towards the door slowly as to not put any extra burden on Ren’s tired body. They reached the set of massive doors and together, all four managed to push them open revealing and extravagantly decorated throne room. The three teens gave each other a wary look but before any of them could raise their concerns, Morgana bolted past them with a speed that might have rivalled Ryuji’s own. “Hey where are you going you dumb cat.” Ren felt his body become much heavier as Ryuji left him for Ann to solely hold up as he chased after the cat, until both were disappeared behind the massive throne blocking their view. “Hey skull don’t just run off own your own.” The only response the blond girl got was an annoying silence which elicited a tired and frustrated sigh from her while Ren could only chuckle to himself before he started moving nudging Ann to follow along.

When the two eventually caught up the their friends, they could only stand and look on in awe as they entered the small room behind the massive throne and saw what could only be described as an excessive amount of treasure filling the room. Cold coins littered the floor as it spilled out from chests, so much in fact that it created a pile bigger than any of them in the centre of the room. Jewellery studded with precious gemstones were scattered with no concern as if they were plastic toys left out by an overprivileged child. But oddly enough, what drew each of the thief’s attention wasn’t the decadent amount of fortune on display but rather a faint shimmering light that floated above the centre pile of gold. Despite having no physical appearance, it demanded their attention. “What the hell is that?”

“That’s the treasure.” Morgana mumbled his reply seemingly broken from his trance like state, this only garnered a more confused look from the former track star. “That’s the treasure? That’s the thing we risked our lives for. I can’t even tell what it’s supposed to be.” Morgana glared at the teen, obviously irritated about being questioned on his deduction. “Of course, you can’t idiot. The treasure only appears when the owner is made aware that he has one.” Morgana looked over at Ren, hopeful that he’d get what he was talking about but only frowned when he saw the raven-haired teen shake his head indicating that even he didn’t understand what he was talking about. With a sigh, the cat continued “Basically, if the palace owner doesn’t know that his treasure is going to be stolen then it won’t appear, we need to bring it to the forefront of Kamoshida’s mind.”

“Alright, so how do we do that.” Morgana seemed to gain a bit more vigour when he heard Ann’s question, happy to be given a chance to show off to her. With a puffed-out chest he continued “We send him a calling card.” Ren had to hold in his laughter when he looked over and saw how Ryuji’s face lit up. “DUDE! That’s totally what a thief would do. Oh. Can I do it?” Ann and Morgana looked at each other with trepidation. “I don’t know skull; it sounds like a really important job.”

“I know but I promise I’ll take it seriously; I mean who else is going to do it. I’ve seen your art Panther and if you’re still as bad as you were in primary school then I don’t think you’ll do any better.” Ann looked like she wanted to complain but as soon as she saw the way Ryuji was looking at her, she couldn’t stop herself from caving “Alright, If joker doesn’t have any issues then I guess we could leave it to you.” Ryuji’s head shot right over to Ren who despite enjoying the whole show he was watching, was really starting to feel the effects of their extended expedition. He gave a simple shrug “I’m leaving it you Skull.”

The four stood at the gates, Ann and Ryuji were still helping Ren stand as he opened the meta nav on his phone. With a final press the world began to shift and the four found themselves standing in the alleyway they had used to enter. Ren tested the strength of his legs without his friends help and while they stung as if had just ran a marathon, they seemingly weren’t the jellylike consistency they had been in the metaverse. “So, Ren.” The teen looked over at his friend “You ready to buy me that Ramen?” Ren was about to crack a joke but was swiftly interrupted by his stomach rumbling. It took all his effort to stop his face from turning a shade of pink before relenting “Sure. I could really go for some chicken anyways.”


	27. Chapter 27

Ren was in the process of getting ready for bed, still steaming from his trip to the bathhouse across from Leblanc when Morgana asked the boy a question. “Are you sure about waiting to send Kamoshida the calling card.” Ren remained quiet, using the time of changing into the clothes he frequently slept in to formulate a response.

After a few minutes all he could offer was a sigh of resignation. “I don’t know Morgana; this is the final stretch and I’m worried about rushing into something we’re not fully prepared for.” Morgana hopped from his position on the desk to the comfort of his bed, Ren couldn’t help but notice a slight glare coming from his feline roommate “I don’t know why you’re hesitating, we’re not going to get any stronger waiting around.” Perhaps it was due to his tired body or his exhausted mind but Ren wasn’t in the mood to be talked down too by yet another person in his life. He took a step towards his bed and the cat sitting on top of it. “Why are you so eager to take the treasure, you know I was ok with letting your history and reasons slide under the radar. But don’t forget that we’re risking our lives here. All of us.” He took another step forward until he was towering over the small body of fur “I will not. Put my friends lives in unnecessary danger again.”

A silence fell over the room and when he saw the look of worry on his friend’s face, Ren lets his tense body relax.

He reached forward and rubbed morganas head.

“That includes you as well Morgana.”

The added addition of being called Ren’s friend seemed to calm the cat enough for him to reconsider arguing. Both of them let out a tired breath as Ren went to turn off the light. “We’re both exhausted, let’s talk about this with everyone tomorrow okay? I’ll admit that I don’t feel comfortable waiting as well.” The yawn that came from his bed seemed to be all the affirmation the teen was going to get which was enough for him as it meant he could finally sleep.

It didn’t take long after resting his head on his admittedly stiff pillow before it shifted into a much less comfortable surface. Ren’s eyes squinted shut in a desperate attempt to ignore the three other presences around him and simply drift back to sleep but once he heard the sound of a baton smacking against the metal bars and the click of a clip board, that Ren was forced to accept reality. Ironic as that may sound.

Ren’s eyes opened and he felt his tired body move on routine to sit himself up and shuffle to the bars. Hoping that whatever Igor wanted to tell him would be said quickly and allow the teen to return to the quiet respite of slumber. “What is it now Igor?” Ren immediately regretted being so hasty with his words as he noticed far too late that the man’s fingers weren’t tapping their usual rhythm against the desk he sat at. “I told you this before that the punishment I gave you earlier was light. But now that you’ve successfully survived another hurdle. I feel no need to abstain from showing you what it means to take my guidance and generosity for granted.”

Before Ren could even try and talk his way out. He felt a pressure inside his head, where it felt mildly uncomfortable to begin with, it quickly ramped up in pain and not a moment later, Ren was on his knees desperately clutching his skull in a vain attempt to keep in from splitting open like a watermelon. But the pain only continued to escalate, the pressure building causing his whole body to sweat, then tears to spill from his eyes blurring his vision until finally the pain became so painful that his body started to convulse. In that moment Ren understood what he was experiencing, he was on the verge of death. The message he got from Igor’s face was clear despite the man’s expression never changing.

‘I can kill you whenever I please. You are my toy to play with.’

Ren’s eyes shot open as his entire body lurched forward. He could taste bile in the back of his throat and the sweat that covered his body chilled him to his very core with the weak breeze that came from his open window. He felt Morgana stir beside him before the cat raised its head, eyes still groggy from sleep “Ren? Are you okay?” In that moment, vivid memories of what just happened flooded his mind and the bile in his throat threated to topple over. He grabbed the sheet, throwing it off and sprinting towards the bathroom downstairs to relieve his stomach.

After a few minutes of grotesque sounds coming from below, Ren eventually stumbled his way back up the stairs. “Ren? What happened” He looked at his friend but didn’t have to energy to explain all that happened, so he settled for just rubbing the cat’s soft fur. “Just a bad dream. I’d rather not talk about it. You go back to sleep alright.” Morgana looked like he wanted to push harder to get Ren to talk but as soon as he saw the pained expression the teen was trying so hard to hide, he thought it’d do more harm than good. With some trepidation, Morgana laid his head on the bed expecting to feel the weight shift under Ren’s body. Instead he only heard the sound of a chair scaping across a wooden floor. “Ren?” the boy just waved his hand over his head after turning the lamp on “I’m just gonna do some homework and calm myself down a bit. I’ll go back to sleep later.” Morgana really wanted to argue with the teen telling him that he needed to sleep but he thought it’d be hypocritical when he himself had spent nights awake because of nightmares. He could only hope that Ren’s common sense would prevent him from pulling an all-nighter.

Ren couldn’t stop his hand from shaking. Even when he told himself that what he had experienced wasn’t real, that it was by definition a cognition of his creation. It did little to calm his buzzing nerves or settle his beating heart. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, his instincts were screaming that what he experienced may has well been reality.

Ren risked glancing at his phone and immediately regretted it, As the neon screen lit up telling him just how early it was. He had to stifle his groan of frustration less risk waking up his roommate knowing full well that he could only put off explaining what happened for so long. He opened his desk drawer pulling out a few textbooks and question sheets Makoto had given, praying that the mixture of boring homework and the warm memories of Makoto at the arcade may lull him into some sort of slumber.

It didn’t and now Ren found himself walking to school with everyone’s eyes on his slouched posture and baggy eyes and he could already feel the new batch of rumours coming from his appearance alone.

“I bet he was out all night beating up rival gangs.”

“The guy is definitely on drugs.”

“Maybe he’s feeling remorseful about killing someone”

Ren wanted to ditch so badly. Find a nice corner of the city with some stray cats and just take a nap. His exhausted mind was already calculating the best cat to use as a pillow but quickly scrapped the idea when he saw his favourite gym teacher manning the gate. Looking directly at him with his slimy smug smile. “Ah Amamiya-kun. Happy to see your taking your school life seriously despite knowing you’ll be gone—” Ren was already 3 steps past him when Kamoshida cut himself short to place a firm grip on the teens shoulder “Now now, even you know it’s rude to ignore your teacher right.” Ren let out a sigh, he was already fed up with the school day and it hadn’t even begun yet.

On a better day and with more sleep under his belt, he would have a million verbal response’s he could use to mitigate any chances of him being reprimanded for. But he was far too tired to think of any, so he decided to gamble with a physical taunt. He ignored Kamoshida as he shoved one of his hands into his coat pocket fishing around for a bit until he pulled it out, revealing a shiny coin. He started flipping the coin in his free hand for a good while until he was certain he had the teacher’s attention. After one final flip, he grabbed the coin and readied for another before subtly tilting his hand directly towards Kamoshida’s head before letting it fly. He didn’t have to look to see his shot was a direct hit as the ping from the metal coin bouncing off the gym teacher’s skull was more than enough for him to prise himself out of the teachers weakened grip. He turned himself around after putting some distance between them.

“You little shit, I should just—”

“Oh my god, I am so sorry Kamoshida-sensei. I didn’t get much sleep last night. You know students. Always got some homework left. I didn’t even realise you were behind me.” Before Kamoshida could respond, the school bell rang across the courtyard “Oh geez, I better get to class. Sorry again Kamoshida sensei but at least your thick skull seemed to block most of the damage anyway. Seeya” And with that Ren jogged into school leaving a fuming Kamoshida to follow soon after.

Ren slumped into his seat with an audible groan, his entire body was sore from their previous trip to the metaverse compacted with the stiffness that came with a lack of sleep. It didn’t take long for Ann to notice Ren’s condition. “Wow, you really don’t look good. You alright?” Ren let his head smack against the desk with a thud before answering. “I will be when I take a nap.” He could feel the blonde’s eyes rolling from where he sat but kept his head laid flat on the desk resting his eyes until the very last second before the class began. As much as he wanted to just sleep through school, even he knew that wouldn’t be the greatest look for his already piss poor reputation.

He tried his best to stay awake, but as second period began and he heard the lull of Kawakami speaking about calculus, Ren could do little to resist the tempting bed that would be his desk.

He wasn’t sure how long into the lesson Ann had managed to hide his napping, but he was quickly awakened by the slapping of printouts against his head. With groggy eyes he lifted his head to find himself face to face with a very irritated looking teacher. “I must say Amamiya-kun, you have a lot of confidence to be sleeping in my class when I am literally giving you answers for the next exam.”

Ren couldn’t think straight, his whole body was aching from sleep exhaustion and the quick power nap only left his mind whirling. He could see in the look of Kawakami’s eyes that she was expecting some sort of quip in response, but nothing came. “I’m sorry Kawakami sensei, I’m running on about an hour of sleep here. And that’s being very generous” Everyone stared at Ren like he just punched a baby, obviously they weren’t expecting such a sincere reaction. He looked at his teacher and thought for a second, that he saw sympathy in her eyes, but he put that on his sleep deprived brain playing tricks on him.

Kawakami examined the young teens face looking for signs of any falsehood, she could believe that children puled all-nighters, even she did it in her youth but she could also tell the difference between someone who did it of their own will and someone who was forced to experience the hell of sleep deprivation. When she failed to see anything but truth on his face, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Go to the nurses office, tell her I sent you and don’t worry about coming back to class, I’ll get Takamaki to bring you any handouts. Don’t let it happen again though.”

Ren was genuinely surprised; this may have been the first time an adult since Sojiro gave him a break and he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He grabbed his bag and cat and started walking towards the door, before he could leave the room, he heard one of his classmates mumble under his breath “Jackass gets to leave just cause he stayed up late. Fine, didn’t have a chance of passing anyways.” He spared a glance over his shoulder and saw the question sheet he had failed to even obtain during his nap, it looked eerily similar to the one’s Makoto had given him, so much in fact that he recognised one of the questions, and he could also recognise that he had the wrong answer.

In his still delirious state, he reached over the boy’s shoulder ignoring the flinch the kid gave and started scribbling on the paper the method Makoto had shown him. “That’s the way you do it. But what do I know? Not like I have a chance of passing or anything.” And then he was out of the room.

Ren turned to corner to head down the stairs when he felt a weight bump against him. He caught a glimpse of brown hair and in his delirium shot his arm out to stop the person from falling back, when he looked down, he saw himself holding a now blushing student council president dangerously close to his body. The only thing that was going through his mind was ‘Cute’.

“Um Ren-kun, do you mind letting me go?” Ren let go of the girl but let his hands linger against her skin for just a moment longer then necessary. He watched as she started straightening out her skirt. “So, may I ask what your doing here in the halls mid class Amamiya-kun?” Ren smiled slightly before putting his hands in his pocket. “Just on my way to the nurse’s office.” He couldn’t help but notice how quickly concern filled the student presidents’ eyes, it made his heart tingle just a tad. “Nurses office? Are you feeling alright?” Ren held his hands out to stop the girl from getting the wrong idea “Calm down Makoto, I’m just feeling tired so I’m gonna take a nap.”

Makoto studied the boys face closely, she could tell he wasn’t lying about being tired, dark rings sat heavily under his eyes and his whole body seemed slouched like the weight of his own being was a struggle to maintain but there was more to his words then he let on. She could see it in his eyes, the boy was scared, perhaps even he wasn’t aware of it, but it was there. Once again, this fellow student of hers was experiencing a pain that she had no way of dealing with and it frustrated her to no end.

She was about to ask the dark-haired boy if there was anything else weighing on his mind when a older voice made itself known behind said boy. “Nijima-san are you coming or not?” She quickly steeped past Ren to properly face the teacher that was calling for her “I’ll be there in a second sir.” With a frustrated grunt the teacher turned away and made his way to the student council room. Makoto turned back to ask her question when she saw an empty space where the boy in question once stood.

Ren would never say that the beds in the nurse’s office were particularly comfortable. But to a man with only an hour of sleep under his belt it could have been a literal rock and he still would have praised it like a bed fit for a king.

The moment he let his head touch the pillow he was out like a light. And thankfully, he was given the privilege of uninterrupted sleep. No flashbacks to painful trips to the palace. No long-nosed bastards torturing him. Just the calming sense of nothingness that brought him more comfort then one would expect.

But all great things need to come to an end and his sleep was no different as the ringing of the school bell finally wrested him from him slumber. With groggy eyes he looked around the room noticing a lack of a school nurse, he looked at his phone and nearly dropped it from shock. He had assumed that the bell that woke him up was the lunch bell, he figured he at best got an hour of sleep but the clock on his phone proved otherwise. Ren had managed to sleep through all of school only waking up as the final bell rang.

He looked at his bag and saw only books and writing supplies. No fluffy cats using them as a makeshift bed as he had gotten used too.

As he started stretching his stiff joints, he heard loud footsteps coming from outside the door, he payed little notice figuring it was just students excited to be done with school. That was until he saw the door open up and three boys, he didn’t recognise file into the room shutting it behind them.

He side eyed the three hoping that he could just ignore but as he stood up ready to leave, the three made their objective known as they formed a wall blocking off his escape. Ren studied the three, they must have been from different classes because he didn’t recognise them at all, they looked about his age so he guessed second years as most first years tended to run and scream when they saw him walking by and third years were too busy stressing over exams to pay him any notice.

“Any reason you’re blocking the way out.” The boy in the centre looked at him with a smug smile on his face as the two beside him just sneered. “Isn’t it obvious, you’re not leaving this room in one piece.” Ren raised an eyebrow at the blatant threat “And exactly how have I pissed you off enough to corner me after I just took the best nap of my life?” The boy’s expression didn’t shift at all, if anything it just got smugger “You’re not very bright are you criminal. Kamoshida said he’ll put us as starters for all upcoming games if we rough you up a bit.”

Ren crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the admission of guilt he was being presented with. “And what’s stopping me from just ignoring you lackeys and running away.”

“We know you’ve been hanging out with that loser Sakamoto and that slut Takamaki. It’d be a shame if something happened to them because you decided to leave.” Ren tensed up and felt his hand gripping the scruff of the middle guys shirt painfully tight.   
“I’d be careful with the threats buddy—”

“Uh uh uh. If you even so much as push one of us. We’ll have your ass expelled so fast that you wouldn’t even have a chance to argue. Not that it’d matter anyways.”

Ren kept his body tense but remained stoic in his movement knowing full well that they weren’t bluffing, This was Kamoshida’s plan from the beginning, get him into a position where he’s either get so badly injured that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to save himself, or retaliate and ensure his expulsion then and there.

Ren glanced the two beside him and then stared directly at the bastard in front of him, he wanted nothing more then to wipe that smug grin of the boys face but instead, he took a deep breath in before slowly letting it out, directly into the boys face. He let go of the kid’s shirt and opened his eyes. “Alright, go ahead.” He took a moment to pause while looking each of his assailants in the eyes “But just know that when Kamoshida eventually throws you lot away. They’ll be no one to stop me from tearing each of you a new asshole.”

As Ren felt the first fist connect with his jaw, he sometimes regretted not learning how to keep his mouth shut.


	28. Chapter 28

It was the end of the school day and Makoto found herself turning corners at a rapid pace. Not towards the school gates so she could go home and study like she would normally do, but instead towards the school’s infirmary because for some reason, the sight of a sleep deprived Ren had plagued her mind all through the day making it frustratingly difficult to focus on class.

She would have gone during her breaks but being the student council president always meant that a teacher just had to eat up her entire lunch time which had only built up her anxiety all day.

She turned the final corner and could see the nurses office in sight, she could also see a second year standing in front of the door without a single hint that he was planning on going inside nor an obvious reason why’d he’d need to.

She walked up the boy expecting him to move aside and let her through but instead he simply stood his ground blocking her way. She looked at him hoping that maybe he was just spacing out, but his stoic expression made it clear that what he was doing was intentional.

She had to bite back a frustrated sigh. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but your blocking the way into the nurse’s office. I’d appreciate it if you could please move.” The boy looked unfazed by her request, instead only getting more rigid in his stance “Sorry senpai, the nurses office is off limits right now.” Makoto crossed her arms while raising an eyebrow curiously “Really? Under who’s request.” She swore she saw the boy’s body flinch if only just a little before he responded “A teachers…”

Makoto took a deep breath in before slowly releasing it. “Right. So, I think neither of us are buying what you’re saying, so I’d suggest you move before I get any more irate. I’m only here to check on a student anyways and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Makoto felt her frustration rising to angering levels as the boy refused to move. “There’s no one inside right now so you have no reason to go—”

A sudden shout from inside the room cut him off.

“Why the fuck won’t you go down!”

Both the boy and Makoto made eye contact. “Move.”

Ren was fairly used to getting hit. It was an occupational hazard as the ‘Local delinquent’ that every other guy wanted to be the tough one that managed to bring him down.

What he wasn’t fully used to was taking a punch and then not throwing one right back. Something he took for granted because getting hit over and over with no reason for the other guy to back down fucking sucked.

Punch after punch kept flying towards Ren’s face and after the fourth one that had managed to find its way to his nose, it was starting to get on his nerves.

The only saving grace he could find was that his assailants were clearly amateurs when it came to fighting, opting for mainly haymakers that while quite dangerous, were quite easy to avoid. But Ren was only human, and he couldn’t avoid _every_ punch, and as his body and face became more and more bruised and beat up. It was starting to become obvious that he was reaching his limits for punishment.

“Why the fuck won’t you go down?” All four of them were huffing staggered breaths, it was clear that the three boys underestimated how tiring it was to throw your entire body into a punch over and over. Ren could confidently say that none of them had a future in boxing.

In a desperate attempt to feign strength and confidence, Ren ignored his bodies screams of pain and straightened his body making him appear tall and less hurt then he actually was. He prepared one of his signature snarky quips when he heard a thump come from outside the door before it slid open at a blistering speed followed by a blur of mass that came flying through, colliding directly against the floor next to them.

Ren wasn’t given long to question what had happened as he saw Makoto follow shortly after clapping her hands like she was dusting off chalk one would use in a professional fight. The four boys looked at her with their jaws agape.

They all stiffened; Ren included when she directed her glare towards them. She looked them up and down and saw a battered and bloody Ren standing opposed to a group of three boys with nary a scratch on them.

“What the hell is happening here?” Before Ren could even get a word out, the three boys backed off slightly and faced Makoto. “Nijima senpai, he tried to attack us. We were just trying to defend ourselves.” Ren watched as a now seething Makoto put her hands on his hips and glared holes into the boys. “You really expect me to be stupid enough to believe that Amamiya-kun managed to corner all three of you here in the nurses office, and then proceed to get himself beaten to a pulp while not one of you has a single mark on your bodies.” She pointed at the groaning body “Even if I was that gullible, that wouldn’t come close to explaining why you had this guy blocking the door outside.”

Ren heard the leader of the three tsk under his breath “What does it matter anyway, the guy’s a criminal, he’s just getting what he deserves.” Ren shuddered as he saw the glare Makoto gave the boy and he could only imagine what he was feeling being the direct target of it. “I don’t know who you think you are but regardless of a person’s background, that does not give you the right to gang up someone who isn’t fighting back. Now all of you will be coming with me to the principal’s office where he can decide what to do with you.”

The three backed away from the student president and started walking back towards Ren “Go ahead, the principle doesn’t care what happens to this trash.”

_Smack!_

As if to emphasise his point, he let a strong backhand ring across Ren’s face causing his head to turn slightly. With almost seething nostrils, Makoto started marching towards the boy who had readied his hand for a punch next, “I told you to stop!” She was almost shouting as she grabbed his hand. He glared the girl “And I’m telling you to fuck off.”

Ren watched as his attacker wretched his hand free, smacking Makoto across the face in the process.

Ren Grabbed the boy by the scruff of his shirt not unlike what happened earlier when they were first introduced. The attacker smiled, most likely expecting Ren to hesitate and back down in fear of being expelled. But all the colour soon drained from his face when he saw the look Ren was giving him.

Utter contempt and anger were conveyed through the glare that Ren was almost stabbing into the boy. Ren pulled his fist back before mumbling a quiet yet very clear phrase “I warned you.”

Ren let his fist explode forward making direct contact with the boys’ nose sending his assailant sprawling across the ground. The boy to his left looked at his friend then back to Ren before charging directly at him. Ren wrapped his arms around back of the boy’s neck before pulling back his knee and then driving it right into his gut. Ren watched the boy collapse to his knees before gabbing a bunch of the boy’s hair and letting his knee crash against his face.

He turned back towards the second lackey who had watched in horror as both his friends were assaulted by a pissed off criminal. When he saw the look Ren was giving him, he tried to turn and run but only found himself bumping into a very angry Makoto who grabbed the boy by one of his arms, turning her back into him using the leverage to lift him over her and crashing his back into the hard tiled floor beneath.

The two teens were breathing heavy now watching the fruits of their labour. Two boys groaning in pain as their backs were battered against a hard floor. One unconscious and the last rolling on the floor holding his most likely broken nose in a desperate attempt to reduce the pain.

“What the hell is happening here!?”

Ren felt his knees give out dropping him to the floor. Maybe it was due to all the hits he took finally catching up on him or maybe it was the realisation that he may have just blew his final chance. Regardless of the reason, Ren wasn’t in any state to come up with an explanation or excuse, being only able to look at a fuming Kawakami standing tall above his crumbling stature.

“Kawakami sensei, Ren isn’t the one at fault here.” Both Ren and Kawakami directed their attention towards the student council president. Kawakami crossed her arms genuinely surprised by the usually cooperative Makoto talking to her, a teacher, with such a firm tone.

“Okay, then explain what happened here.” Ren let out a silent breath of relief but made no attempt to try and speak, trusting Makoto to explain his situation better than he ever could.

“Ren was being attacked by these three when I tried to visit him in the infirmary. The one over there tried to block me and any other students from entering.” Kawakami shifted her gaze to the body that was still groaning in the corner of the room. “After I told them to stop what they were doing and come with me to the principle office, they continued to attack Ren and, in the process, hit me as well. Ren simply defended himself and me.” She took a moment to mull over the information when another body entered the room. The last face Ren wanted to see.

Kamoshida.

“Whoa what the hell happened here.” Ren could feel the slime coming through his fake acting as his eyes fell on Ren “Ah I should have known; it was only a matter of time before the criminal fell back on old habits.”

All three looked at the Kamoshida and Ren could swear he saw Kawakami glare at the man much like Ren would. “Why don’t you let me handle this Sadayo, he could be dangerous—” The gym teacher was cut off by Kawakami holding up her hand before turning to face him “First off, I’ve told you not to call me by my first name. Second, I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to my student as a criminal and finally, you haven’t heard the full story.” She looked at the four boys sprawled out across the floor and then back to Kamoshida “These students are on the volleyball team, aren’t they?”

Kamoshida didn’t even bother to look at their faces, knowing full well who they were. “They are but I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“Well interestingly enough, Makoto here is claiming that your students cornered Amamiya-san when he was resting here in the infirmary.” Ren watched as Kamoshida shot a subtle glare towards the girl standing beside him before redirecting his sharper stare back to his co-worker. “And you believe that story?” Kawakami crossed her arms, letting a small smile play on her lips “I do, considering I’m the one who sent him to the infirmary in the first place.” She looked back at Ren’s small body still resting on the flaw offering him small smile to comfort “And despite his lack lustre grades, Even I can tell that my student here wouldn’t be foolish enough to attack three people at once.”

Ren saw the gears turning in Kamoshida’s head in a desperate attempt to figure out how to pin the blame solely on Ren. “But that still doesn’t excuse the fact that this crimin—” Kamoshida cut himself short at the sight of Kawakami’s glare. “This _student_ still fought back; he still needs to be punished.” Kawakami took a confident step forward “Or we could just drop the whole thing, You get to save yourself the embarrassment of having to explain why your students decided to gang up on one of their schoolmates and Ren can breathe a sigh of relief of not having to get expelled for defending himself.”

Ren had the urge to take notes from his teachers’ ability to corner Kamoshida. After a second, the gym teacher let out a groan of frustration before directing his attention to the four boys laying on the ground, each of which had managed to prop themselves into a sitting position expect for the main attacker who was still lying on the floor clutching his nose. “You three, pick up your friend and meet me in the gym, I have some words for you.” Ren watched as each of his attackers faces went deathly pale, he felt sorry for them knowing that some small part of them only attacked Ren because they were scared, but it did little to illicit sympathy from the teen. He knew better than anyone that actions had consequences no matter how little choice you think you have in the matter.

After his assailants and their ringleader left the room, only Makoto, Ren and Kawakami remained. The two students looked at the teacher expectantly. Ren especially as he wasn’t sure how much of the story his homeroom teacher actually believed, He expected the worst as he saw her walking towards him, and he was rewarded with a small smack on the head. “Next time some guys try to get you to fight, just run alright. I don’t wanna have to stress that one of students might just disappear one day.” Ren rubbed his head but nonetheless let a tired smile form “Thank you Kawakami sensei, I’ll keep that in mind.”

The teacher let out a small scoff before turning to Makoto. “Can I trust you to give him some first aid, I’d ask the nurse but I’m certain she’s already gone home for the day.” Makoto stood straighter, as if she were in the military addressing her captain “Of course miss.” And with that, all that remained was the two teens who just stood there in awkward silence for a moment. “So, I guess I’ll just head off then. Seeya Makot—”

“Sit down.”

Ren couldn’t stop himself from swallowing audibly “Yes ma’am.”

The two spent the next 10 minutes in silence but unlike the awkward one before, this silence felt more comfortable as Ren watched Makoto glide around the room gathering supplies to help heal his battered body. Eventually she found her way back in front of him with a myriad of rubbing alcohol and gauze which she immediately started applying, much to Ren’s chagrin.

After she was done patching up his face, she found her way down to his hands which were still red from the punch he gave the guy that had hit Makoto. Her touch lingering on his knuckle and Ren could feel a shiver run down his spine. “That’s wasn’t the first person you’ve punched, was it?” Ren’s face sagged a bit knowing where the conversation was going. “I’d be lying if I said it was. I’ve been in my fair share of fights.” The quiet that filled the room was almost suffocating for Ren until Makoto continued “Did you really assault someone?”

Ren felt a lump forming in his throat but he chose to ignore it, he gently pulled his hand away from her grasp before retuning it, this time with his holding hers, he looked her in the eye praying that she was smart enough to feel the sincerity through his gaze “I have never gone out of my way to hurt anyone, after mum died, I was scared and confused so I lashed out and did dumb things but I knew that it’d kill her to know that I went around hurting people with no good reason and I’d sooner jump off a cliff then do something that would make her sad.” Another silence followed before all his worry was washed away by the sound of a small giggle. “Not a whole lot of cliffs in Tokyo you know.”

The two continued in silence as Makoto finished treating his wounds. “Shall we head off?” Ren glanced at the door before sighing slightly. “You go ahead, I need to meet up with Ryuji anyways.” Ren couldn’t help but smile when he noticed the slight look of disappointed that flashed across the girls’ face. But it was short lived as she grabbed her bag. “Alright, try not to get into any more fights, your reputation will start to proceed you if you’re not careful.”

Ren gave a quick peace sign as she walked out the door leaving him alone with his thoughts. He waited a moment before standing up and making his way to the door knowing full well what was coming.

He wasn’t ten steps away from the nurse’s office when he heard heavy footsteps quickly catch up to him and felt a tight grip on his shoulder. He didn’t even bother looking when he heard the bastards voice next to his ear. “You got lucky today trash. But that pretty little suck up won’t be able to protect you when I tell the board to expel your sorry ass.” Ren was content to just listen to the scumbag berate him and be on his merry way.

That was until he heard what the guy said next which caused his blood to freeze in pure vitriol. “And after your gone, I’ll make sure to have my way with her as payback for getting in my way. I’m sure she’ll do anything for a college recommendation.” Ren gripped his palm tightly; he could feel the blood start to pool beneath his fingernails as he tilted his head so that Kamoshida was looking him right in the eyes.

The teacher nearly faulting at the stare Ren was giving him. “Lay one fucking finger on her and I’ll rip that thing you call a dick off and shove it so hard down your throat that they’ll find it coming out of your ass.” He shook Kamoshida’s hand off and started walking away, He heard him try to speak but immediately cut him off.

“You think you’re the king of the castle Kamoshida but just you wait. I’ll show what happens to kings that fail to see the hatred they embed in their subjects. A revolution is coming, and it’ll be your head on the pike at the end of it.”

Ren could feel his blood pulsing and his heart beating with every step down the back streets he took. His mind was racing with so many things he now had to do that he barely even registered the weight that hopped onto his shoulder, much less pay attention the words being spoken in his ear. His attention focused solely on his burning rage. He continued to ignore his feline friends’ words of concern as he pulled out his phone and rang a number.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered the line. “Yo dude, what’s up?”

“You think you can get the calling card done by tonight?”

Silence hung over the call.

“Are we really doing this?”

Ren smiled to himself as he felt his eyes widen in what most would call mania. “I’m done hesitating. We’re ending this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably only a couple of chapters until the Kamoshida arc is complete. I am equally terrified and excited to get it done but don't expect it any time soon. I have some thoughts about how i want to write the fight and how to arc will end but not nearly enough to start writing it yet.
> 
> Anyways before hyping up future chapters. I hope you all enjoy this one.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter but I wanted to focus an enitre one for the fight with Kamoshida and maybe the fallout afterwards. So the next chaoetre might be the last one of this arc or the second one at most.
> 
> I've also been trying out shorter paragraphs that have more focus and less confusion. I'd love feedback on whether this is more enjoyable to read or if people preferred the longer paragraph from before.
> 
> Regardles, I hope you all enjoy it.

“Ren shouldn’t we think this through a little more?”

Ren didn’t look at morgana as he used his finger to nudge the cats head back into his bag. “What’d I say about talking on the train. I’d rather not have to beg Sojiro to drive me to school because I brought my stray cat school with me.” He could feel his friend pouting as he hushed his tone ever so slightly “My point still stands; Will you just explain what happened?” Ren dropped his casual smile as he recalled the events that had taken place. “I already told you. Kamoshida sent his goons to beat me up and threated Ann and Ryuji. We can’t wait any longer.”

“Right I got that part but there’s something you’re not telling me. I haven’t seen you that mad since that time in the library.” Ren ignored his friends face peering up at him from inside his bag, not wanting to recall the threat Kamoshida had given him. He instead pulled out his phone to avoid focusing on it “It doesn’t matter, I’ve cooled off and we’re still going through with it.”

Ren started to get out of his seat as the train began to slow down, he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Come one, we have some last-minute preparations we need to make.”

The teen walked through Shibuya ignoring his still sore bodies protests. He soon found himself in a familiar back alley in front of a neon sign reading ‘Untouchable’. He couldn’t help but notice the well-dressed gentleman peering into the shop from outside, they spared Ren a passing glance slightly intrigued by his presence. He chose to ignore them and walked through the single door into the empty store.

Iwai peered over his magazine at the sound of a potential customer and his eyes went just a tad wider at the sight of the black-haired teen. He chucked the magazine to the side showing that he was now paying attention. “Well I’ll be, wasn’t expecting to see you again.” Ren raised an eyebrow “Why’s that?”

The gruff man shrugged before unwrapping a lollipop. “Your friends an idiot but you looked like you had a good head on your shoulders, most people wouldn’t risk coming around these parts. They’re usually too scared about being labelled some sort of delinquent.”

Ren was left speechless. The shock was so great that it stopped his immediate reaction of doubling over on the floor laughing at the irony of what he heard. “Hey kid, you good?” Iwai’s voice shook Ren from his flabbergasted state. “Yeah, what you just said was… Interesting.”

“Heh” he leaned forward in his seat “So what are you buying?”

After about 10 minutes of Ren searching through the store with the last of his money burning a hole in his wallet, he had a bag full of upgrades for the team, everything from bats to Uzi’s. As Iwai was finishing ringing up the last of his items, he stared at the door expectantly, he saw the slightest of movements and lets out a sigh of frustration.

“Hey kid, I need you to do me a favour.” Ren didn’t say anything as the gruff man ducked behind the counter before coming back up with a paper bag in his hand. He dropped it on the counter and Ren could tell that whatever in there was made of metal from the sound it made hitting the glass.

Ren stared at the bag keeping Iwai’s face in view, waiting for the shop-keep to explain what was going on. “I need you to take this bag and leave the shop, bring it back to me in a few days.” Ren raised his eyebrow at the odd request, out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement coming from outside the shop, the sight of suits made it clear who it was. It didn’t take the teen long to put the pieces together in his head, and it took even less time for Ren to see the opportunity this presented him.

He reached for the bag and held it in his open palm, “Alright. Under some conditions.” The way Iwai scowled most likely would have sent anyone else running but to Ren it was exactly what he was looking for. A scowl of frustration knowing full well that he had no room to argue. “You got balls kid, But I don’t do conditions.” Ren smiled while dropping the paper bag back onto the counter “That’s too bad, because I don’t do empty risks. One wrong move and I’m going to juvie, so now why don’t we do business, One felon to another?”

Ren could tell that Iwai was completely taken aback by the brazen remarks he made but he needed to appear confident if he were gonna have any sort equal footing with what he could only assume was an ex yakuza. The air was tense as neither man seemed ready to back down, until the gruff shopkeeper finally cracked a small smile at Ren. “Alright, what’s your conditions, if I like them then maybe I can change my policy.” Ren smiled letting out a silent breath he had been holding “First, you will buy whatever weird stuff I bring in. Doesn’t have to be a lot but you’re the only place I can offload it.” He heard the man grumble to himself before breathing a tired “fine I’ll see what I can do. what else?”

“I want a discount on future purchases.” Iwai raised his eyebrow at his second condition “Kid, you do know I need to run a business here.” Ren tapped the paper bag on the counter “Hard to run a business when your only employee is locked behind bars.” Iwai didn’t respond, obviously hoping that the silence and the glare he was giving would persuade Ren to change his condition, but he wasn’t gonna budge. After another painful minute of silence and the sound of feet pacing slowly outside, he finally relented “Fine but nothing big. I do have to make money. Anything else you want kid when your twisting my arm.”

Ren smiled “One last thing.”

“Alright, so we have a deal?” Ren grabbed the bag with a smile “Deal.” Before Ren could start moving, Iwai dropped his tone “And kid, whatever you do, don’t open it.” He gave his new accomplice a quizzical look before he started walking towards the door right as it opened up with a pleasant chime from the doorbell. The two well dressed men Ren saw outside walked in. One looked to be in his fifties and was obviously very annoyed with Iwai, the one next to him looked younger, most likely in his late twenties or his early thirties. They were the picture-perfect example of a good cop, bad cop duo.

“I thought I told you guys that if you don’t have a warrant and if you don’t intend to buy anything then you’re not welcome in my shop.” Through gritted teeth, the older gentleman retorted “Zip it, we have a warrant and we’re gonna do whatever we please.” He then directed his attention to Ren “What are you doing here kid, this shop isn’t suited for someone so young.” Ren kept his snarky remarks to a minimum, the last thing he needed to do was piss off more cops. “Sorry sir, I’m new to Tokyo and I was checking out some the stores here, I’ll be leaving right away.”

Ren tried to walk past but the older cop’s loud voice boomed “Hold it kid… What’s in the bag?” Ren tried to subtly move the bag away from the two’s sight less he risk them seeing some outline through the paper. “It’s my lunch, you know what schools like, didn’t have much time to eat it during break.” It wasn’t one of his more creative lies, but Ren thought that keeping it simple and boring was the best call.

A second passed before the older cop moved his body to face Ren “Show me what’s inside.” Ren swore in his mind making deathly sure not to let his face show any hint of reservation, he instead pulled his phone out and looked at the time “Oh shoot, I’m going to be late for the train, Sorry I need to go.”

“Hey we’re not finished—”

Iwai’s calm voice cut in “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrogate one of the few customers I actually have.”

“Watch your mouth. I’ll ask whatever question I want.”

“Jesus Jim, leave the kid alone, we don’t have a lot of time to check the shop so let’s not waste it.” With a final nod from the younger officer Ren was free to leave, not daring to risk looking back.

After Ren was a good distance from the shop but still out of the prying eyes of the public, Morgana’s head emerged to stare at the bag he picked up. “What was that all about. That guy in the suit really wanted to see what was in the bag.” Ren continued to stare at the bag while his friend rambled on about nothing important. “So, do you know what’s in it?”

Ren glanced at his feline hitchhiker with a smirk “I have a couple guesses, none of them will do my criminal record any favours.” The cats face dropped slightly as his eyes cautiously moved away from the bag to Ren “Then what are we gonna do with it?” Ren raised his eyebrow surprised that Morgana couldn’t see what was coming a mile away. “Well first we’re going to open it.”

Ren almost lost it as the cat’s face dropped in pure mortification. “But Iwai made it very clear that you shouldn’t do that.” Ren blew out a puff of air realising that maybe people had more of a reason to label him a criminal then he had once thought “Morgana what’s the best way to get someone on your side when your doing something shady?” His friend didn’t answer, thinking that the question was rhetorical and waiting for Ren to elaborate which only earned another puff of air in disappointment. “And you call yourself a thief.”

“You make them an accomplice. There’s nothing stopping me from just handing this bag to the police and saying that Iwai gave it to me. But if I look at it, maybe touch it a bit, then I’m in the same boat.”

From the look on Morgana’s face, it was clear that he still wasn’t fully getting the point Ren was making. “So then why would you willingly walk into that situation Ren?” A smile graced Ren’s lips when he heard the question he had been waiting for ‘Because there nothing better than being accomplices with someone like Iwai who probably has all sorts of connections to Tokyo’s shadier parts.”

A moment passed before Morgana finally responded, “Ren you scare me sometimes.” The smile on Ren’s face only grew larger as he opened the bag and peeked inside “Trust and fear go hand in hand in Life Morgana.” He quickly stuck his hand inside and pulled out the object revealing to the two what exactly Ren had risked his probation on.

All Ren could think was he was so glad he didn’t show those cops what was inside because in his hand right now was one hell of a model pistol. It was so lifelike that even Ren had some trouble distinguishing it. The weight and cool feel of metal on his skin really sold it. It was only as he inspected it closer that he noticed the smaller things that gave it away. Such as how the hammer was too stiff to actually function as a firearm or how the magazine was just a solid piece of metal with no space for any ammunition. But from a distance, you’d be hard press to realise it was a fake. As Ren continued to inspect the model, his grin only grew bigger at the thought of how Kamoshida’s shadow would perceive it. He put it back in the paper bag before shoving it deep into his school bag. “Let’s head home Morgana, we have a big day to prepare for.”

-

“Hey, is this for real?”

“There’s no way. It’s obviously fake…Right?”

“I mean that Suzui girl did jump though.”

“Actually, haven’t the volleyball team members been covered in bruises lately.”

The three teens stood a good distance away from the quickly gathering crowd that surrounded the schools bulletin boards. Ren lent against the wall twirling a red card in his hands watching the Shujin rumour mill did what it did best. Spread anything remotely interesting like wildfire. Only this time what was being spread was the truth that no one wanted to believe, the complete opposite of what had happened to him.

“You don’t think you could have come up with a better picture Ryuji, and what’s with this message, it’s so over the top.” Ryuji stood up straighter, as if to show his pride in his work “Lay off will you, I didn’t get a lot of time to draw the thing after Ren told me to make it yesterday, and arts never been my strong suit anyways. But I think it’s cool, super mysterious. What do you think Ren? Ren ceased his card spinning, looking down at the writing while reading it aloud, one part to help spread the message and another because he found strangely cathartic seeing the devil’s sins put to paper.

“Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back. That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the phantom thieves of hearts.”

Ren looked at his friend with his eyebrow slightly raised. “The phantom thieves of hearts? When’d you come up with a team name.” Ryuji rubbed the back of his head and smiled. “It’s pretty sweet right, makes us feel more legit. Morgana and I spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas.” Ren glanced down at his feline companion who was watching through a crack in his bag. “I’m not surprised in the slightest.” He looked back at the card and felt his spirits lift “I like it. In the end it’s the truth. Though your vocabulary might paint a big target on our back.” Ren’s eyes fell down towards the shoddily drawn top hat adorned with a cringeworthy smirk. “Is that supposed to be me?” Ryuji’s smile just grew larger “Well this all started after you got Arsene. So, I thought he should be our emblem.” Ren flicked the card towards Ryuji who scrambled to catch it “I’m actually offended by that drawing.”

Before Ryuji could complain, an angry voice boomed over the chatter of the crowd “What the hell is all this.” The man of the hour pushed his way through the mass of students until he was standing directly in front of the bulletin board and all the red cards identical to the one Ryuji held. As he read the contents of the cards, a hush fell over the crowd until it was broken but the sound of tearing paper “Who did this!” The furious gym coach scanned the room until his hatred filled eyes locked onto Ren.

The teen didn’t move an inch as the pissed off teacher stormed towards him, not bothering to care about appearances as he grabbed Ren by the scruff of his jacket. “This was your doing wasn’t it you little shit head?” Ren took the card from Ryuji’s loose grasp and held it, blocking his assailant’s face, he peered over it “Nope, but whoever did really know there stuff. Of course, that’s only assuming its true. Right Kamoshida-sensei.”

Ren didn’t care about the way his wide grin would have been interpreted by the student body, he was only relishing in watching the man in front him; A person who from day one made his life a living hell, a man who had done so much in such a short time to hurt those around him, a man who had tormented his friends for such a long time. Squirm under his own rage as he tried to find and outlet, Ren was sure that a punch was coming his way but to his relief, Ann came to his side “Jeez Kamoshida-sensei, you sure are angry. It’s almost as if what that card said hit a bit too close to home.” Ryuji wasn’t a beat behind “Right, it’s seems like only someone with something to hide would take that card seriously. Now I’d suggest you let our friend go, no amount of influence can save you from a video of you punching a student in broad daylight.”

Kamoshida glared at the two teens beside Ren before directing his attention solely on the frizzy haired delinquent whose smile had only grown wider “The revolution has come my king. What size pike would you like for your fat head.”

_Tsk_

Ren’s shirt was released, and his feet were back on solid ground. The three watched the fuming teacher turn around “You trash haven’t solved anything. You’ll be expelled by tomorrow, just you watch.” And with that, the bane of each of there existences started to walk away. The three watched as their teachers image shimmered and was replaced by the stripper king they had begrudgingly gotten used to seeing. Morgana mewed from inside Ren’s bag “Did you see that. It worked; the treasure should have manifested now.”

Ren walked forward so that he was standing slightly ahead of his friends. “Ann, Ryuji, Morgana. We’re finishing this today.”

The three nodded, each with a confident smile emblazed on their faces.


	30. Chapter 30

The day went by quick. Ren had a hard time focusing on the classes and from the way Ann fidgeted in front of him he could guess she was feeling similar. But the two managed to make it through without earning to much ire from their teachers but Ren did finish his classes with a white mark on his forehead.

Soon the final bell rang and the two quickly gathered the school supplies and slung the bags over there shoulders. They made there way towards the door after a few other students had already left. Last thing they needed was to stand out from the crowd.

After they felt comfortable leaving, Ren grabbed the door opening it up only to greeted by a familiar hair band and a sweet smell wafting into his nose. He looked down slightly, making immediate eye contact with a set of Ruby eyes staring back at him.

“Oh Ren, I’m glad I was able to catch you, shall we head the library together?” Ren mentally smacked his head in annoyance, how had he let the fact that he had a study session planned with Makoto slip his thoughts. Somewhere in all the chaos that was the previous day it had just slipped through the cracks of his mind.

He spared a cursory glance towards Ann who was looking at him expectantly, obviously displeased by the delay they were experiencing. He looked back to the girl who was still staring at him with almost gleaming eyes and it pained him when he knew what he was going to have to say.

He swiftly slapped his hands together and bowed his head “I’m really sorry Makoto but my guardian asked me to come home early today so we can discuss what happened yesterday. He’s threatening to call my parole officer if I’m not back on time.” Ren felt his heart break slightly at the sight of Makoto’s joyful eyes saddening just a tad, but it was quickly replaced by her usual level headed, downright robotic stare and inflection “It’s alright, I understand, we’ll just reschedule for later this week.” Before Ren could even offer another apology, she turned on her heel and started down the hallway out of his sight.

Ren wasn’t given a lot of time to feel sorry for himself as he felt a hand tap his shoulder, “Sorry Ren but we should hurry and meet up with Ryuji, this is more important then a study session.” Ren felt slightly irritated by Ann’s casual dismissal of his personal life but he knew what she was saying had some merit, this was a matter of his expulsion and possible incarceration, he just hoped that he hadn’t burned the still rickety bridge he had built with the student body president.

“Hey guys, what took you so lo—? “

Ren and Ann rushed into the alley to cover Ryuji’s mouth “Dude, I don’t know how many times I need to explain what laying low means.” Ryuji’s eyes widened as realised that students were looking in there direction. “Oh, shit sorry.” Ren and Ann let out an exasperated sigh as they watched the stream of students slowly dissipate until it was just the three remaining.

Ren pulled out his phone, offering a glance towards his friends in case anyone was having second thoughts, Ren didn’t have a choice in this matter, but he wouldn’t force any of them to risk their lives. When he was greeted by steeled resolve and hidden excitement, he let a small smile appear on his face as he opened the app.

“Beginning navigation.”

Ren said in a hushed tone. “Here we go.” As the world began to dissolve into another revealing the malformed castle they had gotten so used to seeing, and hopefully would soon be saying farewell too.

The breeze brushed against the exposed part of Ren’s head, his hair rustling in the wind revealing his piercings as he stood still, watching the castle in front of him. It was obvious that the whole palace had a different aura from usual. It was as if the air itself was reflecting the inner chaos of Kamoshida’s mind.

Ren wanted to take a step forward but felt himself hesitating. It annoyed him to no end considering how ready he was yesterday when he was hopped up on anger and adrenaline, but now that he was right at the finish line, he was beginning to doubt himself. The lack of a familiar set of twins was also playing heavily into his worries. One thought kept plaguing his thoughts.

‘Was this the right call. Should I have waited. Should I have gotten involved in the first place.’

“Dude this shotgun is sweet.” Ren felt himself shaken from his thoughts, turning himself to face Ryuji slightly and almost laughing at the way he was inspecting his gun. Like a kid on Christmas.

He knew the moment he saw the model in Iwai’s shop that this heist wouldn’t feel right if his best friend wasn’t standing next to him holding it. In his hand was a beautifully textured matt black pump action shotgun, a far cry from his old spaz which looked like it had come right out of the Vietnam war.

Ann was similarly loving her new whip and tommy gun which made her look like a lady right out of a mafia film.

Strangely enough, seeing his friends ignoring the oppressive feeling the castle was giving to play with there new toys helped alleviate the worries that were plaguing him. If only enough to steel his nerves and approach the castle.

He took a step forward while uttering “I’m glad you like it skull, because it’ll be coming out of your cut.” He couldn’t help but spare a glance back at his friends face which despite being covered by his mask, still conveyed the shock and disappointment it held. “When was that part of the deal. And what about panther?” The lady in red took a step forward following Ren’s lead “I already payed him.”

“What! When did that happen?” He looked down at Morgana “What about the cat?” Said cat followed Ren and Ann towards the castle “Sorry skull but Iwai doesn’t sell slingshots, Ren’s been making my stuff.” Ryuji was the last to follow, with much less pep in his step compared to his friends “This is so lame.”

As he watched his final friend follow him, All of Ren’s reservations were washed away. As he looked over each of his companions and fellow thieves, he felt compelled to ask the one question that he had been avoiding this whole time. He turned his back so he couldn’t see any of them, fearing that the words wouldn’t come out if he were. “Hey guys. I know it might be a bit late, but I wanna say this. If you don’t want to. I’m not gonna make you fight.”

Silence followed his statement and Ren found his breath becoming shallower as none of his friends responded. It only returned to normal when he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. He didn’t need to look to see whose it belonged too “What the hell are you saying man. There is no way we’re turning back now. I still need to make the bastard pay for busting my leg.”

“Yeah, I’d sooner die then let him get away with what he did to Shiho.”

“I still need to thank you for getting me out of that cage and giving me a place to sleep. And plus, there no way you guys would be able to win without my magnificent strength.”

“Heh, big talk coming from a guy who’s barely scraping 3 feet.”

Ren felt a warmth pierce his chest as the three bickered and laughed behind him. He looked up and saw the faintest blue light flutter by. Under his breath he whispered “I’m alright mum. I’ve found where I belong.”

With a twist and a spin of his tailcoat. He faced his friends. “Well what are we waiting for.” He pulled out his phone opening the navigation app “We have a heart to steal.”

A moment later, the four felt the world shift again and then they were standing in the final room of the castle. They gave each other a knowing nod before exiting the safe room. They were careful to open the door, expecting some sort of resistance outside the throne room but were surprised to see nary a shadow in sight.

They wasted no time and dashed across the room until they were pressing there bodies against the large doors. Ren held his hand up signalling them to stay where they were as he activated his third eye.

“Well? How many are there. 100? 1000?” Ren shook his head with a troubled look on his face. “I don’t see anyone.” His teammates looked at him as if he were joking but Ren ignored there questioning gaze, instead looking at Ryuji and then back to the door. “Give me a hand will you.”

With there combined strength, they were able to push it open just enough for the four to slip by. Ren took the lead, treading lightly as he entered the room and behind a pillar for cover. While he trusted his third eye. He wasn’t sure if there was a limit to a shadows strength that he could sense.

He scanned the room swiftly, inspecting every inch that he could see and using his third eye to check the parts that he couldn’t but like before. Nothing was there, and it just made him more anxious. With how it felt outside, he expected the castle to be on high alert, especially so close to the treasure.

He waved back to his friends signalling for them to follow, he stood up and walked out from his cover as to convey that they didn’t need to waste time hiding. “This is bizarre. Why aren’t there any shadows?” Ren pondered the possibilities but chose not to dwell on things that he didn’t have control of. “I don’t know panther. But lets not linger any longer then we need and risk finding out.”

Ren started forward knowing that his team was close behind. They were quick but cautious with there steps and they soon found themselves walking by the massive throne and in front of the door behind it. With a final look Ryuji and Ren shoulder tacked the door open and were immediately caught off guard by what they saw.

In the centre of the room littered with a gold and jewels. Floated a humongous crown where a barely noticeable shimmer once occupied. The four were enamoured by the spinning symbol of royalty, none of them moved or made a word. That was until a low purring became audible to the three teens. ‘Treasure.”

Before any of them could question there feline friend. The cat quickly leaped towards the floating crown. Using his claws to latch himself onto it. The sudden shift in weight causing it wobble before finally crashing down to earth. Ryuji was the first to chase after the cat to neither Ann’s nor Ren’s surprise. “What the hell are you doing you dumb cat. What if you broke it?” Ren followed behind plucking Morgana from his perch and holding him by the scruff of his neck. As soon as he was detached from the treasure, the feline seemed to regain his senses. “Sorry. Lost my cool there for a sec.”

Ren raised an eyebrow before dropping his friend watching as he landed on his feet. Like a cat would, but he chose not to comment. He started sizing up the treasure before asking Morgana “So what’s our next move.”

“We steal it of course.” The three teens eyed the treasure and then the cat “You want us to carry that thing out of this castle?”

Ren ignored the bickering that came from his best friend and his roommate, He walked towards the crown before putting his fingers under. “Lets just move it to the safe room and go from there.” Ann started to follow his lead mumbling something about getting new nails while Ryuji skipped the mumbling part and said loudly under his breath. “Can’t believe a freaking cat is forcing me to do unpaid labour. I thought there were laws for that.”

The three spent a while trying to fenagle the massive crown out of the small door but eventually managed to coax it through. With the added help of Captain Kidd blowing open the door slightly. They soon found themselves around the massive throne and down the corridor when they heard a slow clap. “You criminals really are stupid.” The four turned towards the voice and tensed at the sight of the man who had started everything.

Kamoshida.

Before any of them could react. The crown shrunk back to a normal size. Bewildered by the sudden shift in weight, none of them were able to grab it before it flew across the room right into the king’s hands. “You all think you managed to corner me with that stupid card, but I’ll show you just who owns this castle and each and every fool within it.” Ren tried to rush towards the king before he could do anything but was unable to reach him as he slipped the crown on his head.

The four were sent flying at the sudden burst of energy that emanated from Kamoshida. Each of them smacking unceremoniously against the wall. As they slid down, they were unable to look at what had sent them flying as they could only shield there eyes from the raging wing blasting against their bodies. It eventually subsided and they were able to finally see what happened. Each of them felt there stomachs drop at the sight in front of them.

In the place where the gym teacher once stood now only held a terribly malformed creature with a sickly pink body so large that it was unable to sustain the weight of its own body, rendering its legs useless. In one of its massive arms was a golden fork and in the other was a goblet that was filled with a strange blue liquid adorned with the lower half of female bodies.

The phantoms thieves could only look for long as the wind picked back out with each roar of laughter the monster let out. “Gaze upon me and be amazed. I am no longer your king. I am now you god. What say you now peasants—”

BANG!

The beast cut itself short as it felt a small bullet collide with his head before bouncing off. He stared daggers at the source of the inconvenience which was now walking towards him. Brandishing his pistol in one hand and a knife in the other. Ren walked with his head low so that his eyes were covered by his hair, hiding his expression from the monster “Over and over. I’m forced to listen as you stroke you own egotistical dick just to satisfy your deluded fantasies.” Ren let his expression show, his eyes filled with a fiery rage “And I’m fucking sick of it.” He pointed his pistol at the beast shot off another flurry of bullets, not caring about their effectiveness as he waited for Ann, Ryuji and Morgana to join his side. “So, let’s cut the bullshit monologue and end this. You ugly bastard.”

The four split apart to avoid being one big target for Kamoshida to focus on. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryuji and Ann group up and begin peppering the beast with there combined firepower as Ryuji started laying down suppressing fire with his shotgun while Ann hurling fireballs. There efforts did little to hurt the massive monster that was once called Kamoshida but was effective in drawing his attention, Giving Ren and Morgana more time to figure out how to tackle this behemoth of a fight. “Got any plans joker.”

Ren carefully observed the monster, looking for any vulnerabilities that he could exploit. As big and powerful he had become. Kamoshida was by no right godlike. The most obvious flaw would have to be his lack of movement evident in how the monster struggled to move towards Ryuji and Ann to get within striking range. Ren looked to Morgana with a small smile on his face. “Think you could get him to look this way with a blast of wind?” The cat puffed out his chest “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Ren pulled off his mask summoning Koppa Tengu, he felt his body weight shift and his feet become light, he gave a couple of tentative bounces to get a feeling of how moving with this new base speed would feel when he wasn’t extremely injured or tired. After he felt comfortable, he braced himself, Giving Morgana a final look before blasting towards the monster in front of him.

He could feel himself nearly trip over his own feet, turns out he still wasn’t fully ready for his own speed but nevertheless, he managed to keep himself upright and he crossed the gap Kamoshida had made between the two in no time. Right as Kamoshida was about to send one of his forks flying at his friends, Ren shouted while aiming his palm at the floor. “GARU!” He felt a blast of wind erupt from his hand right into the floor below him, the combined force with him leaping off the ground sent the teen soaring into the air.

With unreal mobility, he turned himself so that he was facing directly at the beast with both his knifes drawn. He felt another powerful blast of air rocket around him directly into the back of Kamoshida’s head. The force easily apparent in the way it caused the monsters head to snap forward. Whether it was effective in hurting the beast was irrelevant to Ren as he only needed the malformed gym teacher to look at him. Which it did exactly that.

As soon as the monster eyes were visible to Ren, he called “Rakshasa!” the image of a dual sword wielding tribal warrior appeared behind Ren, he felt his body get heavier and the muscles in his arms get tighter. With all his force, he launched both his knifes at Kamoshida’s eyes and watched as both implanted themselves in the soft tissue.

With his momentum still carrying him, he compressed his body before letting it explode back out into a spectacular drop kick. One that would make any pro wrestler proud and cause a reeling monster to fall backwards. The teen landed awkwardly on Kamoshida’s exposed stomach, he tried to stand up but before he could find even footing to run off, a flailing arm of the monster managed to connect sending the comparably lighter teen flying across the room and skidding against the floor.

Before any of his friends could voice their concern, he let out a powerful shout to his teammate. “Don’t let up. Attack him with all you got!”

As much as Ren wanted to join his friends in beating the crap out of Kamoshida, the stray hit he took did far more damage then he wanted to let on, finding it extremely painful to even move. If had to guess, he most likely had a broken rib. With pained breaths and small gasps for air, he managed to stand himself back up in time to watch the carnage his friends were unleashing. Ryuji had somehow managed to fling himself into the air spinning himself like a Beyblade, gaining more momentum as he returned to earth, all culminating to a smack against the face of Kamoshida with so much force that Ren felt it in the ground from where he was standing. Ann following suit with a giant fireball that seemed to suspended in the sky as it continued to grow in size before it, like a river being held by a dam, simply dropped right above Kamoshida covering the screaming monster in a see of flames before that in turn became a tornado of fire As Morgana cast Garula.

For a moment, things were deathly quiet. A lull in the battle rendered the room silent aside from the heavy breathing of three teens and a cat. Ren stood still wondering if they had really done it. Had they really defeated the source of so many peoples suffering. Was he allowed to have just that tiny inkling of hope that he thought had been snuffed out the moment he was told to come to Tokyo for his probation?

Another moment passed. And then another before Ren took a single step forward ready to reconvene with his friends and end this whole nightmare. It was only then that Kamoshida’s body twitched. And with that twitch came a powerful shockwave that even threated to send Ren hurtling despite the great distance between the two. Unfortunately, his friends weren’t as lucky. Each of them was sent flying across the room away from the monster who had managed to prop itself back up with a devilish smile on its face.

“You naïve fools truly thought you could defeat me. I am a god here.” Ren noticed a fraction of a second too late what the creature’s goal was as he watched its hand subtly snake around the goblet which had gone untouched throughout the ordeal. “Don’t let him drink from that cup!” Ren tried to rush back into the fray, but one step and he felt his balance slip. The shockwave must have done some damage to his inner ear because the world refused to stay still. Forcing the teen to watch as all their hard work and effort was washed away as the monster brought the goblet to its malformed lips and letting his grossly long tongue snake around one of the bodies before swallowing it whole.

As the body worked its way down the creatures’ throat with a visible bulge, all the wounds and burns it had sustained started to evaporate in a mystifying green haze not dis-similar to the green glow the phantom thieves experienced from Dia.

All Ren could do was stumble his way to a crawling position on his hands and knees as he waited for his balance to return. He looked to Ryuji and Ann and could see that there closer proximity must have left greater lasting effects on their bodies because it seemed they were still struggling to get out of there lying position. “Peasants bring me my balls.”

For a split second, a funny joke rolled through Ren’s mind, but it was quickly set aside as he watched in horror as naked boys wearing iron maiden masks crawled along the ground carrying a massive volleyball on the backs. They moved with surprising speed considering their position, in what felt like an instant, they were already in front of Kamoshida getting ready to serve the ball.

The cogs in Ren’s mind started to turn as he realised what was about to happen and more importantly. Where Kamoshida was aiming. It wasn’t at the raven-haired boy who now able to balance on one knee. It wasn’t the cat that had been sent flying behind the monster. No, it was the two teens who had suffered the most from the Kamoshida’s greed and who were least able to defend themselves.

Ren’s body went into auto pilot as he quickly swapped to another persona calling it’s name and almost begging for it’s aid as he watched the monster prop itself onto it’s feet before leaping high into the air with it’s arm extended “Come Decarabia. Tetrakan!” Three thinly veiled barriers formed in front of two teens as the ball got spiked towards them at an unimaginable speed. It instantly tore through the first barrier and just and well obliterated the second. Each shield broken sent a sharp pain through Ren’s head as he continued to pour his mana into the subsequent shields.

It was only the third shield that managed to keep itself together against the incredible force of the projectile causing a cold sweat to form across Ren’s body as he felt his mana dwindling with every passing second he held it. It eventually became to much and Ren could no longer sustain the barrier, losing its strength the moment it lost its source of magic and breaking.

The ball continued its journey, only narrowly missing the two teens who had managed to wriggle themselves out the way enough to not become red stains against the floor, but were still close enough to feel the impact of the projectile undoing all the work they had made propping themselves back up.

Ren wanted to vomit. His entire nervous system was screaming for him to pass out. To take even a moment of rest and close his eyes. A scream that he refused to listen to because he was still focused on the laughing monster and could see it start to shimmy itself towards Ann and Ryuji who were for all accounts. Sitting ducks.

Against the whining protests of his body. The teen had managed to find even footing on the floor. Yet he was unable to move, his legs refusing to listen to his plead to run towards his friends and help them.

‘I need to move’

That was the only thing going through his head.

‘I have to help them’

He tried to take a step but as soon as his foot left the floor, like a weight being dropped on it, It immediately planted itself back to the ground.

‘Why won’t I move?’

He looked up and realised why he was dead set on standing by as his friends were about to be impaled. Ren was scared. For the first time since his mothers passing. Ren was forced to face death, only this time, instead of as an observer of the natural cycle, he was on the receiving end of a monster who saw no value in human life, and was more than willing to sacrifice it for the betterment of his own.

Ren could only watch as the creature lifted it’s fork high into the air, poised to skewer Ryuji and Ann like they were the leftover food on a plate.

‘Move’

Ren stood still.

‘Move!’

Ren’s body started to shake.

‘MOOOOVE!’

Ren’s feet left the ground. Relaced only with the sound of blood splattering against the floor.

Ryuji wasn’t sure what was happening. He thought they had won. Kamoshida was lying on his back and they had given there all to finish him off. After watching Ren get sent flying, he figured that they needed to end it there and then. But something had happened. The bastard was just playing dead and had come back stronger then ever.

He vaguely remembered a giant volleyball that had somehow stopped right in front of him and Ann just long enough that he could drag his friends’ body out of the way. Then he remembered looking up at a giant fork ready to impale him and her and the only thing on his mind was a need to protect her. So, he thought he did just that, he threw himself on top of her, hoping that only one of the prongs of the fork would be able to pierce him, saving her in the process.

But the pain never came, in fact, he didn’t feel anything aside from the admittedly comforting heat that emanated from the Ann’s body. Rather, instead of feeling anything, he heard something. A sharp metal clang followed by an exhausted and pained breathing. He quickly turned his body to see what was happening. He vison was filled with the sight of Ren’s back, his coat gone and his arms bulging against the weight that he was holding up. In his hands he held two blades which he was using to keep the fork from stabbing through the three of them, one of the blades was coated with a fresh layer of blood. What really drew Ryuji’s attention though was the blood dripping onto the floor below his friend, he quickly found the source as he followed where it was dripping from in the form of a gash in Ren’s Thigh.

“Dude. what happened?” Ryuji couldn’t see Ren’s face fully but nevertheless, he managed to glimpse the corners of Ren’s mouth curling upwards “Oh, I just had to do a bit of convincing to get my body to listen.”

Ren didn’t have much in the way of a plan. His whole body felt as if it were about to collapse under the heavy weight of Kamoshida’s force. His head was clouded by a splitting headache and he was seriously worried about his leg. He was almost sure that he avoided cutting through the artery, but he couldn’t be fully convinced, it had all happened so fast that his memory of what actually happened was fuzzy at best. The only facts that he could be certain of was that he was losing a lot of blood. He had to do his best to keep his friends safe. And that he was gonna be leaving the metaverse with yet another scar he was gonna have a tough time explaining.

The weight above him suddenly shifted and he almost lost his footing, it seemed Kamoshida was still recovering from his spike earlier and was trying to end the fight quickly. Ren silently summoned Genbu, the turtle persona formed behind him and while he didn’t have enough mana to cast Rakukaja, it was still able to keep Ren’s muscles from being ripped apart by the strain.

Ren still didn’t know what to do. In all honesty, he was running on instinct alone at this point, He just needed to make sure his friends were safe, surely if Ryuji could get Ann and Morgana back to the safe room then they could come up with a plan. Ren didn’t care if he wasn’t able to join them, he was content with seeing his friends safe.

Once again, the weight holding him down shifted again, except this time it was an opposite direction. Instead of his body screaming more in pain, it was given relief as the fork holding him in place was lifted slightly, he looked to side and saw Ryuji with both his hands holding the fork in place with Captain Kidd above him mimicking his action.

Through gritted teeth, Ryuji exclaimed “Joker. Leave Panther with me and figure out how to beat this guy.” Ren knew his friend was bluffing, trying to look cool to convince him despite being a shitty liar. But Ren relented regardless, knowing that trying to convince the blonde otherwise would be futile.

Ren’s knifes quickly vanished as he dashed away around the hulking beast.

Ryuji could feel his muscles straining with every passing second and it was only then he realised just how strong Ren was. As much as he wanted to think he’d willingly go through this pain for his friends. It fucking sucked. He had his leg broken once and to this day he still feels the phantom pains making him regret his impulsive actions all over again.

But Ren. He was on another level. He’d had the whole world thrown at him. Not only in the real world but in this crazy fantasy world where demons and gods want him dead. AT the end of the day, if he was in the situation where he needed to stab himself just to experience the pain he was feeling now. He couldn’t be fully sure he’d do it. And that really frustrated him.

“Champions cup.” Immediately Ryuji felt a wave of comfort wash over him as his tendons started to get stronger, the former runner allowed himself the liberty of glancing back to see an exhausted Ann leaning against his back to support herself. “You two are both idiots.”

Ryuji couldn’t help himself as a smile took over his lips. “Maybe you should focus on healing Ren.” Another wave washed over him. “I trust Ren to handle himself. You on the other hand would get yourself killed without me.”

Ren’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on a small bundle of black and white fur. Morgana looked like he was only just able to stand on his feet again from the way he wobbled while trying to move.

Ren ignored burning pain in his leg. He dashed at the cat with one of his most haphazard plans yet. “Mona!” Morgana struggled to turn and face Ren who was now sprinting directly at him with hyper focused eyes. “I’m going to throw you.”

From the way the cats face contorted, it was clear that he wasn’t sure he heard Ren properly. “Wha—Meooow!” Ren was nearly stepping on the cat as he planted his good leg in place, grabbing Morgana by the scruff of his neck before letting all his momentum spin him in place. As soon as he reached a full 180-degree rotation he aimed right at Kamoshida’s head before tossing the smaller phantom thief with as much force as Ren could muster with the help of Rakshasa’s added strength.

Morgana went sailing with a disgruntled mew all along the way before impacting hard against the crown that was sitting proudly on top of Kamoshida’s head. Before Morgana had even fully started his flight, Ren was already onto phase two of his plan, He sprinted towards the nearest pillar, his run not wavering in the slightest as he planted a foot against the vertical beam and continued into an ascent.

In his periphery he saw the cat make contact with the crown, sending both bodies flying into the distance. As soon as he saw the exposed skin of Kamoshida’s head, he decided then and there that he’d bet everything. His future. The future of his friends and the future of all students at the school that despised him on one final gamble.

Through gritted teeth and blurry vision, he pushed himself off the pillar, sending himself sailing high above the monster, he flung out his left hand letting the grappling hook un-winch itself and sending it flying directly into the centre of the monsters skull. With enough force to almost dislodge his shoulder, he started to wind back the line pulling himself directly towards the monster with a knife now in his right hand before his slammed the blade straight into the monsters’ head.

Kamoshida roared in pain, releasing the pressure he had on Ryuji and dropping his fork. Ren could see the monster’s hands start to approach but fuelled by an almost blinding rage and adrenaline, quickly pulled the knife out from it spot before revealing out his last surprise. From his coat pocket which had reappeared during his mad dash for his cat, he pulled out a desert eagle. It’s appearance nearly matching perfectly with its real-life counterpart that Ren was currently hiding for Iwai.

Ren swiftly pulled back the hammer before aggressively slamming the barrel directly into the hole that Ren’s knife had created. Ren wasn’t finished though as he brought his foot above the gun before slamming it down further into Kamoshida’s skull until the entire pistol was nearly fully embedded in the monsters’ head.

The entire process continued to reward Ren with the desperate screams and bargaining of the monstrous Kamoshida “Stop this. I am a king. I am a god. I AM A WINNER!” Ren stood tall, the pain in his leg was masked by the roaring of blood in his ears and his simple desire to destroy everything below him. He pulled a nylon string attached to his hand in his hand. The other end connected to the trigger of the pistol that was 2 feet deep in the monster’s skull.

“Game Over.”

BANG!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this was sorta hell to write. I have issues writing fight scenes because i usually know how I want to end them but I don't know how to build up to that ending. 
> 
> This will be the scond last chapter of the Kamoshida arc which means the next one will be the last chapter for a while. I hope you're all still enjoying this series. I'd be interested to see if people want it to continue through the other arcs.
> 
> I'm also thinking of giving out my discord info if anyone has any questions or would like to offer to edit furute chapters because it turns out that editing sucks.
> 
> As always, feedback and comments are always welcome


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the largest chaoter yet, which I feel is right considering it's essentially the end of the Kamoshida Arc.   
> I hope you all enjoy and read the notes about future chapters at the end.

Ren let out a long breath of exhaustion. He could feel the flesh below him start to dissipate into the usual black smoke, but his body refused to move from its brief respite of rest. It continued to remain steadfast even after the monstrous body underneath was nearly fully gone, only moving when there was nothing left to hold him up, sending him into a freefall before colliding with the ground below.

After landing on his feet, his legs almost immediately gave out, and he was soon kneeling on the floor looking around the room for his friends. Ryuji and Ann weren’t far from him, both were on their knees with Ryuji receiving some personal healing from the blonde girl. A little more searching revealed Morgana who was still disoriented by the sudden toss Ren gave him. The one person he couldn’t find was their gym teacher.

Another minute went by until Ren was able to force himself back to his feet, blood continued to seep from his wound, slower than before but still at a worrying rate, he needed to get that healed asap but his potions weren’t strong enough to fix the wound or even stem the flowing blood.

As he started towards his two blonde friends, he spied the crown out of the corner of his eye, he turned himself to go and grab it but was unable to reach it before it was snatched away from him by the king himself.

The slimy bastard scooped the crown into his hands and started bolting towards the massive doors before being swiftly cut off by Ryuji who was blocking the way smacking his metal bat against his hand. Kamoshida started to run back but skidded to a halt as he stared directly sown the barrel of Ren’s pistol. With fear and panic in his eyes, he scrambled to find any kind of escape.

He turned and started sprinting towards an open balcony but defeat soon crept its way onto his features as he peered over the edge and saw how high he was.

“Are you scared?”

Kamoshida turned with incredible speed at the sound of Ann’s voice. The leather cladded lady started stalking towards Kamoshida with fury and contempt showing plainly beneath her mask. “I bet that’s what Shiho was feeling when she looked over the edge.”

“Fear. Despair. Feeling like she was trapped.”

Kamoshida started to squirm as Ann got closer and closer, he kept peering over the edge but recoiling as he was continuously met with the dizzying height.

“But you know what makes you and her different? She had the courage and strength to take that final step. Despite knowing what awaited her, she still chose to take fate into her own hands.”

With a blue haze, her mask disappeared as the femme fatale behind her appeared. A fire ball with enough heat the boil skin started to form in her hand. “Hey Panther, you can’t—” Ryuji was cut off by Ren’s hand, stopping him from going any further and interrupting the girl. When he was met with a questioning gaze from his friend, Ren simply shook his head. “We got our retribution. We need to let her make the decision for herself.”

“But if what if she kills him?”

Ren was quiet for a second before returning his gaze to the show in front of them. “I’ll take the fall so don’t worry. No one would question if I were the one who killed him.” Ryuji’s face looked like he wanted to scream in protest but surprisingly the blonde managed to keep his mouth closed.

“Please don’t kill me. I didn’t know any better. I just wanted people to need me, to give me the respect I deserved.”

Ann’s hands started to clench tighter and tighter, shaking as she listened to the bastard in front of her beg and rationalise his wrong doings until it finally became too much for her. “HOW DARE YOU TRY AND JUSTIFY RAPING MY BEST FRIEND!” With a final scream, she let the fire in her persona’s hand go flying directly towards Kamoshida who had found himself sitting against the banister behind him. He curled his body up expecting his life to end at that moment.

Which only made it stranger as he opened his eyes to a panting Ann and a scorch mark next his face. The radiant heat making it feel like he was standing next to a blazing campfire. As the realisation came that he wasn’t a burnt crisp of a king set in, his body slumped back in horror. He looked up at Ann with quizzical gaze only to be returned by one of utter discontent and a hint of sorrow.

“Death is too good for someone like you.”

Kamoshida leant forward, tears started to stream down his face as he fell to his hands and knees. “I’m so sorry. I did deplorable things. But what do I do from here?”

Ann turned her back on the quivering king, not giving him the attention he once believed he deserved “You’ll never be able to redeem yourself for the evil things you’ve done to people… So, go back to your real self. Admit your wrongdoings to the world and let them decide your fate. That’s the first step.”

Kamoshida managed to stop himself from sobbing to look at the three teens with tired eyes. He let his head nod down before his body started to shine in a blinding radiance and then finally dissipating into nothing, leaving only the crown which bounced its way towards Ann. She looked down at it before picking it up and tossing it to Ren.

As he caught the lightweight decoration, he felt his leg start to go numb. He looked down worrying that he had finally ran out of blood but was instead greeted with a green light wrapping itself around his thigh, stopping the flowing blood before stitching up the open wound on his leg.

The teen let out a sigh of relief before looking back at his friends with a smile on his face.

“Good work guys. I’d call that mission a success.” Ren, Ann and Ryuji looked at Morgana with confusion and shock on their faces. Each of them looking down lower than normal at the furry mascot. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

No one knew what to say, or better yet, how to phrase it. That was until Ryuji decided to just bite the bullet like he always did. “Dude, why are you a cat now?” Morgana looked ready to fire back with his normal ‘I’m not a cat’ retort but held his tongue as he caught a glimpse of his hand, which was now very clearly a paw. “I guess because we dealt with the palace ruler, the palace metaphysical perceptions are retuning back to their forms in realty.”

The three teens went silent. They knew there something more important about that fact other than Morganas shift back into his quadruped form. It took Ren the least amount of time to ask his question to their metaverse expert. “Wait, if the place ruler is gone. What happens to the palace?”

It was in that moment that he decided God might just be the one comedian with perfect comedic timing because when Ren finished his question, not a beat later did the whole palace shake as if it were in a magnitude 10 earthquake, the force was so great that it threatened to topple each of the phantom thieves. Ren looked at his friends, the ones that stood on two legs at least and muttered almost causally, despite the situation “We need to run. Like right now.”

Through gritted teeth and strained muscles, the three teens began their journey outside of the palace. Ren felt a small weight on his shoulder which he assumed was Morgana but didn’t have time to check as he was too busy scanning his phone for any possible shortcuts they could take, he quickly learned that all the safe rooms were now inaccessible meaning that they couldn’t simply warp back to the entrance and the original route they had taken was filled with debris and missing parts of the monolithic structure.

After a minute of running blindly through rooms and hallways they had previously ignored on their one-way path to the top of the castle. Ren finally found their possible salvation. “Take the next left?” With Ann being the least injured of the three, she took position at the front, with Ren in the middle and Ryuji trailing close behind. They all rounded the corner and found an obnoxiously long hallway. “AH dude, that’s a dead end.” Ren turned and gave Ryuji’s doubtful expression a cocky grin of his own. “Skull, nothing’s a dead end when there’s a window.” Confusion quickly turned into dreadful realisation on Ryuji’s face “You can’t possibly mean—”

“Guys we don’t have time, we need to go!” With that, Ann began sprinting towards the end of the hallway, Ren gave his friend a casual shrug as he followed suit, almost laughing as he heard Ryuji complain behind him as he ran to catch up.

The Hall seemed to stretch on forever, as they kept running, it just seemed to get longer and longer but Ren knew this was the right way. If it was really as long as he was seeing it and it wasn’t simply due to a loss of blood warping his perception of time. Then it should have led directly out to the front of the castle.

“OW!” Ren and Ann skidded to a halt to see what happened behind them. Each of their faces filled with worry as they saw Ryuji on his knees behind them. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you—.” But before he could even finish his sentence of dumb self-sacrifice. Ren was already beside him with Ann closing in. “No chance I’m leaving you behind to get crushed under this perverts castle.”

“Are you guys alright?” Ann asked as Ren pulled Ryuji to his feet, draping his arm over his shoulder “We will be. Panther do you have any mana left?” She closed her eyes for a second to feel her reserves “A bit, why?”

Ren grinned “I need you to cast champions cup on both of us. Take Morgana and book it out of here.”

“But what about you guys?” Before Ren could even try to explain his plan Ryuji stuck his thumb out at Ann “Trust us Panther, we’ll be right behind you.” Ann took a moment consider arguing but instead punched Ryuji on the chest lightly. “You better. You idiots.” Soon a green light enveloped both Ren and Ryuji, they felt the muscles grow tighter and stronger, the pain in each of their respective legs reducing to a dull throb. Morgana quickly leapt off Ren’s shoulder and gladly took place on Ann’s who gave to two one more worried look before turning and starting her sprint back down the hall.

Ren turned to Ryuji as they locked there bad legs together and readied there good ones “How good were you are three legged races.” Ryuji gave a light chuckle as he steeled his resolve “No clue, no one wanted to race with me.” Ren laughed “That makes two of us.”

With a final synchronised breath. The two took off, awkwardly at first but they quickly found there rhythm and were soon tearing it down the hall. They began to pick up speed as they continued to improve their rhythm and before long, with the castles crumbling behind them, were able to make out details of the now broken window they were about to fly through.

As they were right on the precipice of jumping out said window, Ryuji shouted to friend “What’s the plan!” Ren could only smile and shout back “I hope you can swim!” Before the two went soaring out the window with a final leap. Yelling their lungs out as they started plummeting towards the moat beneath them.

SPLASH

Ren and Ryuji’s heads popped out of the water. Both were sputtering trying to get the water out of their lungs. After they had calmed their breathing, they looked around to see Ann already on the shore ringing out her wet hair. The two shared a final look before they started to swim, intent on joining there friend.

After they had reached the shore and dragged their heavy bodies out of the cold water. The four looked back at the crumbling castle. None of them sure as to what to say. Ren simply pulled out his phone and brought up the navigation app. “How about we go home.” The three nodded as they started walking to the drawbridge. “If I never see a castle again it’ll be too soon.” Ryuji and Ren laughed under their breath at Ann’s muttering before Ren pressed the button.”

As the world began to morph and twist, Ren gave a final glance back towards the crumbling palace, while he was happy to be rid of the atrocious thing, he’d be lying if he denied that it felt bittersweet. Because despite being put through pains and experiences unimaginable to the young teen, the fact remained that he may have never gotten a chance to bond with Ryuji and Ann like he had without the presence of an overwhelming threat like Kamoshida, and he certainly wouldn’t have met his new roommate, whether he was happy about that was still up in the air.

With a final turn of his stomach, the phantom thieves found themselves in a familiar alleyway, each of them looking more haggard and exhausted then when they had first entered it. Morgana hopped from Ann’s shoulder back to Ren’s with a massive grin on his face “Good work guys. Our first successful heist as the phantom thieves.” Each of the teens reciprocated the cats grin with a scowl of their own, quickly wiping away any smugness the cat had “What’s up guys.” Ren picked up his roommate by the scruff of his neck before placing him in his bag “As punishment for not telling us that the freaking palace would collapse after we won. You are hereby sentenced for dry cat food for a month.”

The face Morgana gave his friend would make it seem like Ren had just sentenced him to life in prison. “You can’t do that. What about my fatty tuna?” Ren ignored the whines of his feline friend, instead choosing to focus on his bipedal ones who both weren’t looking as happy as he was expecting “How do we know what we did worked?” Ren figured that question was gonna come up at some point, and yet he didn’t have a concrete answer to give Ann, he opened the app on his phone. “Well, I don’t see Kamoshida’s palace in the history anymore, and it’s not popping up when I type it in. So, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether it had any effect on the real one.”

Ren’s words did little to calm to girl, only making her face scrunch up in worry. That was until Ryuji came to the rescue. “Dude what happened to the treasure. A crown like that must be worth a fortune.” Ren’s eyes widened in response, he had completely forgotten that he even had the thing, his thoughts more occupied with escaping then ensuring he kept the thing on him. He started searching his pockets, not sure how a crown would have fit in there but figuring that stranger things had happened.

After a minute of searching, he finally felt something foreign in one of his back pockets, he quickly pulled it out and each of the phantom thieves looked at the item in confusion. Because instead of a gold and glittering crown adorned with various jewels, what Ren held in his hand was something far more ordinary by comparison.

“A gold medal? What the eff, did we really risk our lives just for that.”

Ren looked at Morgana expecting an explanation and was surprised when he actually received one. “The treasure was the source of Kamoshida’s distorted desires, it’d make sense that it would be something special to him in the real world.” Ren looked at the Medal closely before elaborating to the other two “I guess he viewed the medal as his golden ticket to do whatever he wanted, I mean you guys said that he only really became a teacher here because he was in the Olympics, he must have seen it as his crown to Shujin’s castle.”

Ryuji’s body slumped slightly “Well that’s interesting and all but is it worth anything. And more importantly, can we even sell the thing?” Ren and morgana looked at each other with a smile before Ren pocketed the Medal. “I might have someone who would be willing to buy it.” Ann clapped her hands in joy “Oh I have an idea, Golden week is coming up soon, why don’t we use the money we get from the medal to go somewhere nice?”

“That’s if Ren and I don’t get expelled before then.” Ann flicked Ryuji’s forehead “Alright enough moping around, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Ren smiled at his friend’s newfound optimism before picking up his bag. “Ann’s right, all we can do is be patient, we should try and avoid doing anything suspicious in the meantime, and we should probably avoid hanging out as a group for the time being.” As Ren started to walk out from the alley, he could hear Ryuji mumble under his breath “Great, so now I get to freak out by myself for the next couple of weeks.”

The following weeks went by in a flash for Ren which he found odd. He thought he’d be up all night freaking out like Ryuji had been, but he was strangely calm. As soon as he heard that Kamoshida was taking a leave of absence from school, he felt like the weight he had since day one was finally lifted off his shoulders, if only slightly. It did little to qualm any of the rumours that were circulating about him or the stares he was still getting from his school mates.

It even gave him a chance to properly focus on his study session with Makoto but as he had feared, ditching her the previous week had left some lasting damage on their still debatable friendship, even offering to take her out to get something to eat afterwards fell on death ears as he was blown off when she explained how she had to prepare dinner for her sister. All he could hope for was that he could slowly repair the damage he had caused over future study dates.

As time continued to pass with no mention of Kamoshida, Ren started to wonder if the bastard had actually turned himself in and it was just being covered up by the school. With the way the principle had handled the whole Shiho situation, it wouldn’t surprise Ren if the tub of lard were more worried about the school image then the wellbeing of its students.

Days continued before something finally happened. It was the second Friday following there heist, the last day of school before golden week when an announcement was called over the P.A. “Would all students please make their way to the Gymnasium.” The chatter within the class started to pick up as students got out of their chairs and made their way towards the doors. Ren watched Ann get up but remained seated himself, obviously in no Rush to follow the class. “We should probably head over, not draw attention and all that.”

Ren gave Ann a casual smile as he stood up from his chair and grabbed his bag, he and Ann were the final two to leave the classroom. They started walking towards the stares, Ann turned to take the steps down but stopped when she noticed Ren wasn’t following behind her “Where are you going Ren?”

Ren rubbed the back of his head before looking down the hall “I’m just gonna go the bathroom really quick. I’ll catch up in a sec.” Ann could tell something was up but chose not to push him. She gave the boy a shrug before continuing down the stairs. “Alright but don’t take too long.”

Ren waved her off, when he watched her leave his line of sight, he let out a sigh of relief before he started walking up the stairs. Morgana’s head popped out to question him “I thought you were going to the bathroom.” Ren didn’t look at his friend as he continued up the stairs “I don’t particularly feel like being in a gym filled with people staring daggers into me, No one will care if I ditch anyways.”

Ryuji stood at the back of the crowd scanning the room for his friends. The past two weeks had been hell for him. Every day after lunch he could swear he felt kids looking at him like they knew what he had done and not being able to hang out with Ren and Ann was only making his anxiety worst, he got why they should try to avoid hanging out in a big group but that did little to calm him down. He didn’t even know how to act natural, he figured that maybe he should actually pay attention in class for once but the moment he looked at his handout, the teacher looked at him like he was an alien so he scrapped that idea very quickly.

After a while he finally spied Ann walking into the gym following her class, but he couldn’t see his best bud with her. He started making his way towards her when the principle started talking. “Attention all students, we are holding this assembly to speak to you all about your mental health. As I’m sure you’re all aware, a few weeks ago, one of our beloved students was the victim of a horrible accident. I would like to tell you that as of right now, Shiho Suzui has pulled through and is no longer in critical condition.”

Ryuji could feel his blood boil as he listened his fat ass principle refer to one of his friends attempted suicide as a simple ‘Accident’ as if he had nothing to do with it. He was almost ready to shout bullshit but realised that Ren would probably beat the shit out of him if he managed to drag them into another incident with the school. So, he kept his mouth shut as Kobayakawa continued his speech.

“Everyone here has a bright future ahead of them. I implore you all to rethink the importance of life and—” Kobayakawa was cut off by the sound of the gym doors opening. Every head turned towards the new arrival and every person held their breath at the sight of a dejected Kamoshida.

“Mr Kamoshida what are—”

“I have been reborn. And that is why I must confess to you all.” Kamoshida ignored the worried looks he was getting from the students and made his way to the stage. He walked to the podium and began speaking into the microphone despite the principle’s questions. “I have repeatedly done things that were unbecoming of a teacher.”

“Verbally abusing my students. Physically abusing my team and… Sexually abusing the female students at this school.” Every student gasped in horror at the final part of his admission. Each of the girls visibly moved away from Kamoshida.

“I am the reason Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself.” Kamoshida dropped to his knees, his quiet sobs echoed like thunder through the silent gymnasium. “There were even students that I tried to have expelled purely because I didn’t like them.”

“I am truly sorry for putting innocent youth through such horrible acts. I am a horrible, despicable, morally reprehensible human being. No! I’m even worst then that.” The blubbering mess of a teacher could only sob for a moment before finally managing to continue. “I will take responsibility for my actions. I will kill myself.” It was at the mere mention of suicide that the crowd began to roar with chatter. Ryuji heard all different kind of things from his school mates, from some begging Kamoshida to reconsider to others egging him on. Ryuji felt sick to his stomach as he realised some people were so excited to see the bastard off himself that they were getting their phones out to record.

Principle Kobayakawa looked the most nervous, he dodged around the podium to get close enough to Kamoshida to talk without letting every student hear what he was saying. No doubt trying to get the sobbing teacher to reconsider and leave before any more commotion was caused.

When Ryuji was sure all-out chaos was about to ensue. A female voice cut through the roaring crowd with clarity and power like no other. “Don’t you dare try and run you bastard!” As if the mute button had just been hit, every student that was a part of the chaotic flurry of voices went deathly quiet, giving Ann the perfect stage to say her piece. “Shiho is still alive, even after all the awful things you put her through. She’s going to recover but it’s going to be fucking hard for her. What gives you the right to take the easy way out?”

No one made a sound, even Kamoshida had stopped crying to listen to the girl, He looked up and stared Ann right in the eye as he muttered “You’re right… You’re absolutely right, I Should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes.”

He continued to look at Ann as he explained further “I did horrible thing to Takamaki-san as well. I used Suzui-san’s position on the volleyball team as leverage to try and have sexual relations with her.” His head dropped, breaking his gaze with Ann “As of today, I will resign as an instructor of Shujin academy and turn myself into the authorities. Someone. Please call the police.”

With his final request, Kamoshida went quiet and the gymnasium roared to life once again as teachers and the principle tried to usher people back to classes. Ryuji continued to scan the room looking for Ren, when he once again couldn’t see the mess of Black hair in the increasingly more active crowd, he pulled out his phone before sending a text to his friend.

Ren pulled out his phone when he felt the familiar buzz of his ringtone. He read through the contents of the message carefully and deliberately. Making absolutely sure not to miss a single detail or misconstrue the information. When he finally got to the end of the message, the only words that really stood out in his mind were “Kamoshida just admitted to everything. I think it worked.”

Ren’s phone continued to buzz with messages from Ryuji, but he didn’t read them, He put his phone back in his pocket and stared up at the sky as he waited for everything to sink in. It didn’t take long before he felt his back slide down against the fence he had been leaning against.

Thoughts raced through Ren’s mind. But none of them stayed long enough for him to dwell or analyse as his desire to sleep superseded everything else. With every passing moment, the nervousness Ren had been keeping under control the past couple weeks started to catch up with him. Added on top of the massive weight that had been dropped knowing that for the time being, there was nothing threatening his expulsion and thus his possible incarceration.

It all compacted into Ren closing his eyes for just a second to breathe before passing out entirely.

Makoto walked up the stairs of Shujin academy not entirely sure what she was doing. One moment she was in the same gymnasium as every other student listening in shock and horror as Kamoshida, A teacher she once resected, admitted to not only abusing students with physical violence but even sexually abusing the female students. It made her nauseous just to remember it, so when she heard it from the man himself, all she could do was leave the room ignoring her teachers worried glances and demands to stay where she was.

After she had left and managed to catch her breath, the image of a single student fluttered through her mind. Spurring her forward to go and see him. Ren Amamiya. She didn’t need to go back into the gym to confirm he wasn’t there, oddly enough, lately she’s been entering every room and found herself scanning it for a familiar mop of shaggy black hair, even when she wasn’t actively looking for the boy.

Instead, she started traveling up the various floors of Shujin academy with one location in mind.

The roof.

When she finally arrived at the top of the school, she could see the door was open slightly to prevent it from locking itself upon closing as it’s meant to do. She carefully pushed the door open wide enough to allow her to slip by, she still didn’t have a plan, but she knew she had to talk to Ren about what just happened, she didn’t have any concrete evidence to support it, but she was almost certain that he had some connection to Kamoshida and his apparent wrongdoings.

As she managed to get onto the roof itself, all the words she wanted to say to the local delinquent of Shujin vanished when she saw said student with his back against the chain link fence, his head down and bangs covering his face, lightly snoozing in the afternoon sun.

She took tentative steps towards the boy until she was directly in front of him. If it were anyone else, she was sure that she’d wake him up so they could have the discussion she had originally wanted. But instead, she found herself drawn closer to the boy, she bent her knees until she was at eye level. She got as close as she dared, her desire to study his features overwriting any previous thoughts.

She wasn’t sure what exactly it was about the boy that drew her to him on so many occasions. She had met many boys in her life that she could define as attractive. She’s even met the detective prince himself, yet Ren Amamiya was the only person that constantly plagued her mind when she occasionally let it wonder.

As she continued to study his resting face, she finally got a clue as to what it was. He was the exact opposite of her. Because even though he had just as many, if not more pressures forced upon him by society and the people around him, he constantly exuded an aura of confidence and self-affirmation. He took all those pressures and carried them not to please the people around him like she was apt to do but in spite of them. He had the strength that she always wished for.

And yet here he was, just taking a nap while the biggest scandal in Shujin history played out right below them. Makoto could only look at his resting form and think to herself.

‘He looks so peaceful right now.’

Makoto wasn’t sure how long she spent watching the young man. He must have been exhausted because she was sure he would have been woken up by her presence any other day, like the first time she came across his sleeping form here on the roof. As she continued to watch his chest rise and fall softly. She felt her own breathing start to sync with his, every breath making her eyelids heavier. She found her current squatting position uncomfortable, she started to adjust not even aware that her body moved to sit beside the resting boy.

All it took was one final cool breeze to send her over the edge before she too lost the battle to sleep.

Ren felt himself stir awake. His eyes opened slowly to give him time to adjust to the light, he tried to stretch his arms but felt something pressing lightly against his right arm.

He looked over and found himself genuinely surprised by what he saw. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to see Makoto, miss student president herself, sitting beside him snoozing away the day using his arm as a makeshift pillow.

He looked to his left and uttered a silent thank you when he saw that his phone had wriggled itself out of his pocket during his nap, with as little movement as possible, Ren unlocked his phone to check the time. His eyes widened when he saw that they had managed to sleep through the entire school day with the final bell set to ring soon.

He gazed back at the girl who’s mouth was hanging slightly agape, just enough to keep any possible drool off her new pillow, as he watched resting face, a comfortable smile came to his own. He locked his phone and carefully fenagled it back into his pocket before leaning back against the fence and letting his body relax, content on letting the girl rest just a bit longer.

As Ren continued to sit there and bask in the afternoon warmth, he started contemplating what his next move was, he did promise Morgana that he’d help him, but he wasn’t sure if Ryuji and Ann would be on board or even what helping Morgana entailed. As time continued to pass, Ren’s thoughts drifted into obscurity as he found himself looking at Makoto more and more. He started to pick up on the little habits she had, such as when the sun would shine right on her face, her features would scrunch up as if trying to block out as much light as possible, or when her hair would sometimes fall through her headband, her nose would begin to twitch from being tickled.

But by far, the one that Ren found the cutest was whenever a particularly cool gust of air would blow past the two, Makoto’s face would frown before she’d turn her head and buried it deeper into Ren’s arm as if she were seeking refuge from the cold.

Ren started to lose tract of time. Perfectly content on just enjoying the moment of quiet he was experiencing and allowing the girl beside him to occupy his mind. A strong gust of wind blew across the two, causing some of Makoto’s hair to drape over her face. Ren wasn’t even aware of his arm that had moved to brush it out of the way. And he realised too late because as his arm moved, so too did his body, the motion being just enough to stir the sleeping girl awake.

Ren found himself face to face with Makato with her hair in his hand and staring right into her eyes as they fluttered open, revealing to him a set of dazzling rubies that seemed to look right past his arrogant façade and into his soul itself. Neither of them made a sound or an attempt to move, each was transfixed on the others face like some outside entity was holding them in place. As Ren continued to stare at the girl, taking in all her features and staring deep into her eyes. I single thought ran through his head.

‘Oh…I think I like her.’

And like that, a flood gate had crashed in Ren’s mind sending it into overdrive thinking about all the obvious signs that pointed to him obviously having feelings for the student council president. Luckily for him though, the final bell of the day Rang, giving his mind just the moment of clarity, it needed to reclaim control of his emotions and keep his cool.

Slowly he propped himself up before offering a hand to Makoto. “I hope you have a good excuse ready for the teachers that definitely noticed your absence for the last three periods.” Unexpectedly, Makoto’s face showed no signs of nervousness or regret, instead she stretched her arms and happily held onto Ren’s to pull herself up “I know I should tell you off for breaking the rules and coming up here without permission, as well as ditching classes, but that nap may have been the best sleep of my teenage life, so I don’t think I have a right to chew you out.”

The two stood there somewhat awkwardly, neither sure as to what to say after experiencing the intimate moment they had shared. Ren was the first to move, he grabbed his bag and started walking towards the door. The footsteps behind him telling him that Makoto was close behind. That was until he started walking down the stairs where only his footsteps echoed.

“Ren?”

Ren turned to face the girl, from the tone in her voice, it was clear that she wanted to ask him a question, He felt his blood cool as he readied himself for the obvious question to come.

“Can you promise me that’ll you’ll properly try in class, I know you have it in you to do well, you just lack the motivation.”

Ren waited a moment before he felt himself relax and smile. “Yeah, I think I can promise that, as long as you can promise that you’ll let me take you out somewhere fun after our study sessions.” Ren almost lost his breath seeing the girl try to hide her light blush before she followed him down the steps before passing him “I think I can agree to those condition. I’ll see you after golden week _Amamiya-san_.” Ren rolled his eyes at the girls emphasising of his last name “Yeah, seeya Pres”

Ren watched the girl smile before she turned the corner leaving him all by himself. Some part of him felt relived that she didn’t ask him about his connection to Kamoshida, yet he couldn’t help feeling something wasn’t right about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an actual nightmare to write and edit. As in I was suffering some serious writers block during the writing process and kinda wanted to neck myself when I realised I'd have to edit it. 
> 
> Regardless, I'm happy with it, I think it struck a good balance between the phantom Thieves and Ren's personal life which is something I'm worried is gonna get harder and harder to manage.
> 
> With this being the end of the arc, I'm probably gonna take a bit of a break, take some time to actually come up with a chapter list and break down whats gonna happen throughout the arc so we don't get another 30 chapters for Madarame. I might also try and bulk write chapters that way I can spend more time on future chapters and keep uploading consistantly.
> 
> Or I might just keep doing what I've been doing. Who knows. Either way I'm so happy that so many people have read it, I'm so happy that so many people have rated it and estatic that some of you have commented and given me feedback, it really helps knowing that people are reading the story and wanting to talk about it.
> 
> So thanks again guys.


	32. Chapter 32

Ren left the front gate of Shujin feeling more refreshed then when he first walked through it all that time ago, it was amazing what a little peace of mind did his body and soul. He turned the corner and was greeted by two heads of blonde hair running towards him, Ryuji being the former track star was the first to reach him before wrapping him in a suffocating bear hug “We did it dude, we changed Kamoshida’s heart and we’re not getting expelled.” Ren tried to respond but felt all the air get forced from his lungs before he could utter a word. All her could settle for was smiling while tapping on Ryuji’s arm.

“Hey idiot, you’re gonna kill the guy if you don’t let him breathe.” And as quickly as he had lost it, all his breath came back to him as soon as Ryuji’s embrace loosened. “Oh, my bad dude. Just a bit excited is all.” Once Ren had managed to breathe normally again, he gave his friend another smile “It’s all good, I’ll let it slide this time.” The four laughed for a bit before Ann’s phone rang, she excused herself from the group to take the call.

“So, what are you gonna do now dude.” Ren’s smile faltered slightly, that was the question that had been on his mind ever since he heard the news and yet he still didn’t have a concrete answer, he glanced down at Morgana, he opened his mouth to offer some sort of response before Ann’s voice overwhelmed the three “Really! You’re absolutely sure. No that’s great. Yep, I’ll come by as soon as I can.” With that, the girl pocketed her phone, Ren expected her to return to the group but rather she just stood there staring aimlessly, the three boys shared a worried look before they made their way over.

Ryuji was the first the speak “Everything all right Ann—” The boy cut himself short, his faced turning pink as his crush quickly closed the gap between the two, embracing Shujin’s problem child in a tight hug, burying her face deep into his chest. “Whoa Ann, what’s wrong?”

All that was offered to the three was a muffled mumble from the girl, explaining nothing to them. “Um, come again.” She pulled her face away from Ryuji’s chest just enough to allow her words to come through somewhat clearly. “Shiho woke up.” Each of the phantom thieves’ eyes widened in response to the news. “For real?” Ann just nodded her head before resting her forehead on Ryuji’s chest “Yeah, they said it was only for a bit but the fact that she was conscious means that she’s gonna be alright.”

Ren smiled gently, he walked by Ryuji and rested his hand on Ann’s shoulder, her face was once again shielded from sight by Ryuji’s chest but even if it wasn’t, Ren didn’t look at her, instead just saying “This is the fruit of your efforts Ann, you showed everyone that Shiho’s choice wasn’t in vain, you should be proud.” Ren didn’t wait for a response, he felt the way her body shook from his words as he walked away from the two, He gave Ryuji a glance which the blonde boy simply responded with a knowing nod.

Morgana’s head popped out as Ren walked down the stairs of the train station. “Are you sure we should have left lady Ann like that?” Ren grinned as he looked at the cat’s face “I think she’s in the best possible hands.” Morgana looked frustrated by the fact that he couldn’t argue with his assessment, so he just settled for taking another nap in Ren’s bag.

Ren continued through the station taking a look at various shops, he didn’t feel like heading back to Leblanc after the emotional rollercoaster of a day he had. As he explored the station he came across a notice board covered in fliesr, the one that caught his attention was a ‘Help wanted’ poster. Spurred by the sudden stop of Ren’s movement, morgana showed his face again to question the bumpy ride “What are you looking at?” Ren grabbed the poster before tearing it off the notice board to get a better look, for some reason, getting a part time job had never been on his priority list when he started probation, probably because he didn’t plan on getting attached to the city or doing anything that would have costed him a lot of money. But after his escapade in the metaverse, his funds from his pocket money were almost completely gone, and without any castles to steal from, he didn’t have anything apart from the medal to sell to Iwai.

He read the poster; it was for a part time position at the convenience store back in Shibuya. He scanned the information and the decided to pull out his phone after reading;

‘No experience needed.’

And

‘Late night shifts perfect for students.’

The phone rang after he punched in the number before being answered by an older sounding lady. “Triple seven convenience stores. How can I help.” Ren hesitated for a moment, he had never applied for a job before, so he wasn’t sure about the process. “Um, I saw your help wanted poster in the station—” before he could even finish his question, the girl’s bubbly voice cut him off “Oh perfect, we’ve been looking for part timers for so long now. Are you able to come in for an interview tomorrow?” Ren was taken aback by how easy that felt, he had heard horror stories about trying to get a job in Tokyo. “Uh, yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem, what time should I come around?” The girl went quiet, the sounds of books and paper being turned was all the indication Ren had that she was still there. “How does, 4 pm sound?” Ren did a quick mental check to see if he had made any promises to be anywhere that time, after he was certain he was in the clear, he responded “That works for me.”

“Great, see you tomorrow.” Ren didn’t even get a chance to thank the girl as the line went dead against his ear. He looked at his phone just to make sure that call had actually taken place and he didn’t just have a sudden fever dream. When he saw the call history, he let out a sigh of relief as he pocketed his phone, he couldn’t help thinking to himself that maybe working a part time job would be more exhausting then infiltrating an imaginary castle.

-

It was late when Ren finally got off the train in Yongen Jaya, late enough where the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and late enough where the café should have been closed for the day. Which is why Ren was confused when he saw that the lights were still on as he turned the corner, and the door was unlocked as he pushed against it. The chiming bell grabbing Sojiro’s attention from the Tv. The elder gentleman quickly turned off the tv and turned towards the boy with an annoyed look on his face “Where the hell have you been!” Ren raised an eyebrow at Sojiro’s angry tone. “I was out with friends, why do you care anyway, you gave me a key, so you didn’t have to stick around right?”

Sojiro pushed his glasses up so he could rub his eyes “kid, I gave you that key in case you had to study or something that would keep you back at school. It wasn’t an excuse for you to stay out all night. Whether I like it or not, I’m still your guardian for the year.” Ren felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance, the flippant attitude from the café owner was starting to piss Ren off, but he kept his anger in check and instead focus on the real source of confusion “Look boss, you didn’t waste your precious time waiting here just to tell me I’m not allowed out late. So, skip the lecture and tell me why you’re here right now.”

Ren worried that he might have pushed his luck too far by the look Sojiro shot at him, but the older man just let out a frustrated breath of air before speaking again “I heard the news about your teacher. I just wanted to make sure you had nothing to do with it.” Ren expected the accusations, but it still stung regardless, whether he really did have something to do with it or not, it was frustrating to be the first-person people suspected. He almost wanted to go off on his guardian but knew better then to let his ego and self-righteous get the better of him.

The teen shoved his hands into his pocket and started walking towards the stairs, as he passed Sojiro, he spoke in a calm and almost deadpan tone “Nope, the guy was just a paedophile and an abuser, guess his consciousness got the better of him.” He saw Sojiro’s body relax slightly at Ren’s lie, a tinge of guilt still wormed its way through Ren even through the teen’s annoyance. “Good, you just got to get through the year without doing anything stupid. It seems like your taking what I said to heart.” Ren stopped to consider the words that Sojiro said to him during their first meeting. “Hey boss, if you had the ability to stop bad people from doing bad things, don’t you think it’d be wrong not to?” Sojiro looked at Ren with eyes full of exhaustion, he took off his glances to clean despite then glass not having a speck of dirt on them.

“Kid, the world isn’t black and white, there aren’t good and bad people. Just people going about their lives. Every coin has two sides.” Ren’s eyes squinted in frustration at the cliched answer “So are you saying that Kamoshida just happened to show us his bad side. The sicko raped a girl at the school.” Sojiro’s face shifted into one of genuine anger at the mere mention of Shiho’s assault, but he quickly regained his composure. “No, I’m not gonna defend the low life. But I want to believe that no one is born evil, that comes from the decisions and the people they interact with their entire life. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can never fully understands someone’s life story.”

Ren stayed quiet after hearing the last of Sojiro’s words, he wasn’t sure if his guardian was waiting for a response, but he didn’t give one regardless, he just kept moving towards the stairs. As he reached the bottom step, he stopped again and said one last thing “Hey boss. Thanks for taking me in. I really appreciate the chance you gave me.” He heard the older man laugh under his breath, “Just don’t expect me to let you live here rent free, I’m gonna work you to bone when it gets busy.” Ren smiled and chuckled to himself as he walked up the stairs. Ready to end the long day.

-

The weekend went by quickly for Ren, much like the phone call, he somehow managed to ace the interview with almost no hassle, it honestly felt like he was getting scammed by how easy it was to get the job. Only time would tell whether it was a blessing or a curse that he just got his first job ever.

The teen woke up Monday morning not due to any self-implied motivation, but rather due to his phone ringing loudly next to his head making it impossible for him to ignore. With his eyes still closed in desperation to continue sleeping, he clumsily moved his hand to answer his phone.

Ren had instant regret as Ryuji’s voice blasted through his speaker, ending the last shred of hope Ren had for sleeping in during golden week. “Hey dude, you are doing anything today, I’m already bored.” Ren opened his eyes and checked the time, groaning into his phone as he saw the big 9 am. Ren didn’t have his first shift until 6pm so he had nothing in particular planned for the day. “You’re lucky you’re endearing but wake me up this early on a holiday again and I’ll show you why I was arrested.”

Ren grinned when he heard the blonde audibly gulp over the phone. “What’d you have planned anyway?” Ren asked over speaker phone, using the spare time to get dressed out of his sleep wear into something more appropriate for going outside “I thought we could just grab something to eat in Shibuya, I don’t think I’ve shown you any of the cool hangout spots yet.” Ren cast his mind to what he has spent his first month doing, he guessed that between dealing with a perverted teacher and a different reality, sightseeing in Tokyo fell through the cracks along the way. “All right, I’ll meet you at the station then, and Ryuji…try not to get into any trouble.”

“Why do you say it like that’s a given with me?”

Ren went quiet for second before answering “Experience.”

“Shut up.” And the line went silent

After Ren was finished changing, he started to make his way down the stairs, the teens eyes went wide in shock at the sight, the café that would usually average 3 to 4 customers throughout the day, was now packed with people of varying ages. Ren looked over to Sojiro who was busy taking orders and grinding coffee. The owner of the cafe looked up from his task and spied Ren. “Ah kid. Good timing, grab an apron and start helping out.” Ren was about make a joke, but with how many people were around him and how much Sojiro was sweating, he didn’t have the heart to complain about being roped into helping out for free again. He grabbed his phone and sent a quick apology to Ryuji before stepping behind the counter and tying on an apron.

It was around 3 pm when the final customer left the store, Ren was busy scrubbing dishes when Sojiro let out a tired groan as he sat on one of the stools. “It’s always busy the first day of golden week, but I always get surprised by just how many people come in here.”

Ren grinned as he went about his mundane task “Maybe you should think about hiring some more staff.” Sojiro just grumbled to himself but Ren could tell there was smile on the old man’s lips “I can’t just give my secret coffee and curry tricks to any old schmuk off the street.” Ren turned his head to give Sojiro a doubtful gaze. “Plus, I don’t make nearly enough to hire a part timer for the whole year.” Ren smiled and went back to cleaning the dishes “Thanks again kid, you really saved me there.”

“Don’t mention it, I don’t have work until 7 so it’s not like I had anything planned.”

Sojiro got off from the stool and made his way to small kitchen recess next to ren “Didn’t expect you to get a job. Where at?”

“Triple seven.” Sojiro crossed his arms and offered Ren a cocky smile “Well look at you, becoming a proper member of society, maybe probation will do you some good afterall.” Ren rolled his eyes but kept his smile. The two worked in a comfortable silence until Sojiro spoke up “Hey kid, how about you work here for this week, Golden week can get pretty busy, not today levels but still a bit more then I can handle comfortably, I’ll even pay you.” Ren turned his head towards his guardian with his mouth help wide open, Sojiro offered a concerned eyebrow raised in response “What is it?”

“I just never thought I’d see the day where you offer to pay me.” Sojiro almost laughed but managed to keep it to a muffled chuckle ‘All right smartass, I’ll finish up cleaning, you can head out and enjoy your holiday.” Ren finished rinsing the dish he was holding before wiping his hands and taking off his apron, he tried to hand it to Sojiro, but the old man just pushed it back. “Take it upstairs, may as well make it yours.” Ren smiled before he made his way up the stairs, he threw the apron on the couch and grabbed his bag with Morgana still snoozing inside before leaving the café.

-

Ren walked into the convenience store feeling oddly nervous, the boy had fought mythical beings and the literal personification of Kamoshida’s inner demons yet working his first shift was what tipped his anxiety over the edge. He was given the basic run through of things, where he could keep his bag, where he could get changed, where and how to clock on. He was given the full tour of the shop before he was finally brought behind the counter and had his actual job explained to him. “So basically, your job is to help customers find what they’re looking for, scan the products as quickly and precisely as possible so we can eliminate any down time. Since you’re working the night shift, it probably won’t be very busy, when you get some down time, focus of restocking the shelves and tidying the store up. Got any questions?” Ren shook his head, then remembered what he learned about work etiquette and quickly bowed his head “Thank you senpai.” The girl in front of him, probably in her mid-twenties look flustered by the sudden respect she was givin “Oh please, none of those honorifics, I can’t handle that kinda stuff.” Ren let out a breath of air and relaxed his body, he himself wasn’t too big on the implicit respect he was supposed to show to his superiors or elders.

His co-worker looked at her watch before walking around the counter to the front “Well if there’s nothing else, then I will be seeing you later.” Ren’s eyes widened in horror “Wait, so I’m just gonna be by myself for the night.” The girl seemed like she wanted to laugh but managed to supress it. “Well, the manager will be in her office but yep, you’re the only one rostered on for the night shifts, why do you think you were hired so quickly, no one else wanted them.” Ren’s mouth nearly fell open, the young man had been tricked. “You’ll be fine, trust me, you look the part, and no one really comes this time of night. Believe me, you’ll find the real reason no one wants the night shift in due time.” The girl gave Ren what he assumed was meant to be a reassuring smile but only came off as one of betrayal to the teen before she left him by himself.

-

Ren quickly found out why what the girl meant. It only took about 40 minutes of standing around doing nothing for him to realise that the reason no one took the night shift wasn’t because it was busy time or even a particularly dangerous time. It was because it was so boring. Ren had absolutely nothing to do to keep himself entertained; his phone was in the locker room, but the security cam pointed right at the counter would have prevented him from using it regardless. He had already restocked all the empty shelves and polished the floor to such an extreme that he was afraid he was going to have to put a wet floor sign down just to stop people from slipping. He couldn’t even talk back to Morgana who was napping on the windowsill behind him in fear that he’d be called out as a weirdo that talks to cats.

It was about an hour of nothing happening before a customer finally arrived. The doors opened with a classic chime as a woman with a bob haircut, adorned with yellow sunglasses walked in. Ren watched the woman make her way through the aisles, grabbing an assortment of snacks, when her back faced the teen he noticed a camera hanging from a strap around her body. He wasn’t an expert on camera’s, but he could tell it was a professional one, not something you’d use just for sightseeing or taking selfies. Once she made it to the counter with her hands full of snacks and drinks, Ren could smell the alcohol on her, he expected her speech to be slurred and her behaviour to be obnoxious but was surprised when she spoke with almost perfect clarity “Hiya, haven’t seen you around here before, you new?” Taken aback by the cheerful personality and lack of speech impediment despite the overwhelming stench of liquor, it took a moment for Ren to answer. “Uh yeah, it’s my first shift.” Ren got to work scanning the items, going at it with speed and proficiency, no doubt enhanced by his time in the metaverse, when compared to dodging fireballs and spears, scanning bags of chips seemed like a cake walk.

The lady watched his hands with such intensity that he was almost got nervous as he went about his job, he became so focused on doing well, he failed to notice the lady grab her camera and snap a pic of him, the flash hurting his eyes slightly and leaving him in a daze. The lady seemed uncaring of his surprise, more enthralled by checking her picture. “yep that’s pretty good.” She glanced over her shoulder before showing him the picture with a smile “You look pretty cool doing your job, you might just be the most diligent cashier I’ve met.” Ren really didn’t know how to talk to this chick, he was used to being the one in control of conversations, he was usually the one to set the pace which he preferred to keep slow. But this lady was content on stealing the reigns from him and just going full speed. “Hey how old are you?”

Ren almost let himself take a moment before realising that he knew the answer to the question. “Uh 17.”

“Oh wow, you could easily pass off as 21.” Ren grinned, satisfied by the strange compliment. “So, are you saying I should try and sneak into bars?” The lady laughed and waved her hand “Nah don’t bother, the only good place to drink anywhere in Tokyo is ran by a chick who could sniff out you’re were underage in a second, even a pro couldn’t get you a fake idea good enough to convince Lala- chan.” Ren smiled as he finished scanning the items, he put the snacks into one bag for the girls convenience, when she grabbed the bag, she asked “What’s your name cashier-kun.”

“Ren.” She pulled out a 5-dollar bill and handed it Ren along with a business card. “For your excellent service, I’m a reporter so give me a call if you ever need info.” Ren looked at the card reading the name. “Thanks, Ohya, I’ll keep that in mind.” He looked over the card at the girl and could tell she was waiting for something else; Ren wasn’t a stranger to mutual benefits. “I’ll also give you a call if I come across anything interesting.” This seemed to be the right answer because Ohya beamed him a smile “I like you already Ren. We’re gonna get along just fine.”

Ren waved the girl off as she cracked open a can of beer and disappeared into the night. Ren’s smile faded as he realised that was easily gonna be the most exciting time of his night and he still had another hour before he could clock off. He leaned his arm on the counter and rested his head against it, settling in for a boring night.


	33. Chapter 33

The end of golden week left Ren more exhausted than when he started. Juggling between helping Sojiro out at the café, hanging out with his friends and then rushing to his part time job which while dull and uninteresting, still had the teen standing for hours without any rest. It all coagulated into Ren almost sleeping through all of his Saturday, ignoring the questions from Sojiro downstairs and the pings on his phone from Ann and Ryuji.

Ren finally woke up when he heard his phone ring, He grabbed the device and looked at the time, almost hoping that by some miracle, it was still 8 am and he could tell whoever was calling him that they made a serious mistake in their life choices.

Only instead of it being 8 in the morning, it was 3 in the afternoon, and instead of either of his two blonde friends, it was his student council president. Ren almost cringed at how excited he got from her call, the moment he finds out he has feelings for the girl, he turns into a Shojo manga character.

The teen pulled himself to a sitting position, clearing his throat slightly before answering the phone. “What’s up Makoto?”

“Ren? Are you alright?” The boy in question raised his eyebrow even though the girl couldn’t see. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, it’s just that your voice sounds off, I thought maybe you caught a cold.” Ren laughed to himself, feeling his body relax more and more as he talked. “No, that’s just how I sound when I wake up first thing in the morning.”

There was a moment of silence where Makoto was piecing together what Ren said before she responded with less worry and more disbelief. “Ren, it’s noon.”

“I see no evidence for that. I just woke up meaning it must be morning.” Ren smiled when he heard rustling on the other end of the line, no doubt coming from the strict and scheduled girl shaking her head in disappointment. “Your gonna sleep your life away at some point.”

Ren stood up and started getting changed as he talked “That sounds like a life well spent to me. What’d you call for anyway.” There was another silence before she responded in a hushed, almost embarrassed tone “I thought maybe we could have a study session today. Try and make up for the time we missed during golden week.” Ren smiled, sensing there was more to her request then just efficiency. “Are you sure you’re not just bored on a Saturday and want to hang out.” There was a bang on the other line, followed by a muffled scramble to pick it up. “Did you just drop your phone in surprise.”

…

“Makoto?”

“Do you want to study or not.” Ren held the phone away from his face just to make sure his laughter didn’t squeak through his sealed lips and embarrass the poor girl any further. “Sure, how about we meet at the diner near the arcade.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Sounds like a date.”

Ren heard the girl panic before he hung up the call, he stared at his phone and felt a faint blush in his cheeks, he chucked the phone towards his bed, berating himself in his head as he took off his clothes and changed into something a bit more presentable ‘C’mon Amamiya, it’s not like you haven’t had a girlfriend before.’

Ren hopped down the stairs 2 at a time, the fatigue from his body vanishing with every step. “Where are you off to?” Ren was almost out the door when he responded, “Studying.” The store owner’s face was quickly adorned with a mischievous grin “Is it a girl?” Ren flinched, followed by him immediately muttering a profanity at how easily he gave it away. He turned to face Sojiro hoping maybe the old man wouldn’t have noticed, but the shit eating grin gave it away.

“Would you believe me if I said no?”

“Not a chance.” Ren sighed, feeling his body slump “Then yes it’s a girl.” He readied himself to leave right when Sojiro said "She cute—”

“And I’m leaving, I’ll see you later.” Sojiro laughed as he polished a glass, he glimpsed himself in his reflection and smiled, reminded of his days of youth.

-

Ren got off the train, much calmer than he expected, in all honesty, talking to Sojiro and being shown just how embarrassing he could be relieved some of the tension. Just because he had feelings for Makoto didn’t mean she had any for him, and before all that, Ren didn’t have to act on them in the first place. He was going to study, and then hang out with a friend. His feelings didn’t change any of that.

He navigated through the station, moving between people like it was second nature, a far cry from his first time in Tokyo when he was bumping into every other person earning their respective glares for being interrupted. Even Ren was impressed by how quickly he adapted to the increased pace of Tokyo, almost as if he were born for the city.

After making his way out of the station and into Shibuya proper, he arrived at the agreed location, a quaint little diner not 5 minutes away from the arcade he and Makoto visited previously, and even less time from Iwai’s shop.

He walked up the stairs to the establishment. One at a time as not to draw attention from others and as well as discipline himself. Once he got to the top and walked through the door, he immediately found where his study partner was sitting. Not because of some cliched love sight helping him locate her in the crowd, or even with the use of his third eye. Rather it was pretty hard not to see Makoto as she was being badgered by two guys around Ren’s age.

As Ren got closer, he could hear the conversation happening between the three. “C’mon, we know somewhere much nicer then this shoddy place, we’ll take you, our treat.” Ren could almost see the vein about to burst on Makoto’s forehead, a sign that this had been going on for some time. “I don’t know how many times I need to tell you. I’m waiting for my friend; Now I would appreciate it if you could leave me alone.” Even despite the very clear message that she wasn’t interested, the two boys didn’t back down, almost earning a shred of Ren’s respect. It took balls to kick a hornet nest.

“Oh, don’t be like that, you can bring your friend along.” The second guy chimed in after “Is she cute?”

“ _He_ is adorable.” The two boys turned towards Ren, there smooth nice guy façade dropped immediately, before they could even get a chance to retort, Ren had already taken a step towards him, perfectly content with letting his slight jealousy sway his response “Now how about you two get out of this place if you find it so shoddy.” The two looked ready to talk back but backed down when they noticed most of the diner’s patrons, including the staff, were now glaring at them. They shoved their hands into their pockets and walked around Ren, glaring at him the entire time. Before the completely walked off, one of them muttered “Bitch should have just said she had a boyfriend.” Makoto got out of her seat, looking like she was ready to sock the guy, but Ren just held his arm out to block them from her sight. She looked at him quizzically, but he just offered her a gentle smile in response. “Let’s not let them ruin our day. People will say what they want.”

Makoto took a deep breath in before exhaling it out slowly. She found her way back to her seat with an audible thump before she offered Ren a smile of her own “You’re right. Shall we get stared.” Ren slid his way into the seat opposite of her, bringing out his own textbook. “We shall.” He looked down at the actual content, losing all charisma he had “begrudgingly.”

It felt like an eternity had passed before Makoto finally let Ren have a break. His head dropped to the table, sending papers and glasses jumping lightly into the air. “Amamiya-kun, I’d like you to refrain from damaging the diner’s property.” Ren didn’t raise his head; he just awkwardly waved his arm in her general direction. They sat in silence as Makoto looked over his answers, as Ren waited he started snacking on his chips, using the opportunity to look at the girl. He was honestly surprised with himself that he somehow hadn’t noticed what a beauty the girl was. Prim and proper, elegant even, where Ann was easily considered a knockout based on her exoticism. Makoto held a more subtle beauty.

The boy was knocked out of his daze by the girl smacking the papers on the table, for a moment he was worried he got caught staring but let out a silent sigh of relief when the girl smiled in his direction. “You’re doing well, it’s somewhat impressive how quickly you’ve improved when compared to our first session.” Ren leaned against his arm, munching on a chip “You make it sound like you thought I was an idiot.” The girl looked genuinely apologetic “No I didn’t mean it like that. I just think you’re doing really well and—”

“I’m messing with you Makoto. I don’t think you have it in you to belittle someone based on their intelligence, especially when the guy you’re belittling is a criminal.” Ren had to hold in the urge to laugh when he saw the girl aim her head down to hide her embarrassment. When the girl managed to keep her blush from growing any bigger, she once again scanned over his test, hiding her laugh as she saw the boy let his head flop against the table again out of the corner of her eye. She honestly couldn’t help but be impressed by how much he improved, it left her wondering just what his life could have looked like if he focused on his studies.

She had to shake the thought away chastising herself in the process. She didn’t have any right to judge the way Ren lived his life, while she could sympathise with losing a parent, she also didn’t truly know anything about the nature of their relationship or how her passing changed things in his life.

She looked at the boy who was munching on chips with his head still flopped on the table and realised that in many ways, Ren seemed to be enjoying his life full of hardships more than she was living her life on the straight and narrow.

She looked back at the boy and smiled before shutting her own textbook. The sound causing Ren to look at her curiously. “I think we’ve covered enough for today, now it’s your turn to teach.” She giggled at the way the boy’s eyes beamed with anticipation, he quickly shoved the books into his bag before calling the waitress over to pay.

-

The two walked out of the diner with Makoto huffing at the boy. “You really didn’t have to pay for both of our meals. I’m the one who invited you.” Ren held his hands behind his head like he wasn’t taking the girl seriously at all. “But we both know you could have gotten a lot more done if you weren’t helping me out, so I think paying for a couple of drinks and a sandwich makes us even.”

The two were walking down the street towards the arcade when Makoto noticed the two boys that were annoying her earlier. This time though they weren’t alone. She nudged Ren’s arm to get his attention and when he finally looked at what she was pointing to, the two boys were being ushered into a back alley by two men easily twice there age in suits.

Sure that something was wrong, Makoto started to follow only to be stopped by Ren grabbing her arm, not tight enough to hurt her, or even stop her but enough to make his intentions clear, she turned to face him and noticed the frown on his face. “What are you planning on doing Makoto.” The girl frowned back at him, believing that her intentions were quite obvious. “I’m gonna help them, they’re clearly being threatened.” Ren sighed and rubbed his temple in frustration. “Yeah I got that part. I’m asking why?”

Now Makoto was the one getting frustrated by Ren’s attitude “What do you mean why, they’re students like us, why shouldn’t’ we help them.” It was clear to her that Ren wasn’t exactly thrilled about what she was saying. “First off, why do you care about them, they were hitting on you earlier and annoying you. Second, they don’t go to our schools and finally, if they really didn’t have anything to do with those guys, they could have just walked away. The way I see it, they’re just facing the consequences.”

Ren nearly flinched at the way Makoto was glaring at him. “So, you’re just gonna leave them to be harassed because of one dumb mistake. Isn’t that exactly what’s happening to you at Shujin.”

She shook her arm free. “I thought you were better then that Ren.” She almost immediately wanted to apologise when she saw the face Ren made at her words but her frustration and desire to help prevented her from doing so. She turned away from him and started to move towards the alley only to be stopped once again.

“Enough Ren, I’m going whether you tell me to or not—” Her words were cut short as she scrambled to catch the mask Ren threw her. She looked at him confused but quickly realised his intent as he was putting on an identical mask on himself, he pulled up the hood of his jacket and handed the girl a lackey band, his eyes tired and frustrated but still caring. “Well, what are you waiting for, put on the mask and tie your hair up. Unless you want them to recognise you whenever they see you again.”

Makoto smiled as she followed the boys lead, putting the mask on but hesitating when she saw the lackey hanging from his finger. “Why—”

“Ann wanted to see what my hair would look like tied up.” Makoto grabbed the lackey while trying her best not to laugh at the image of Ren with his hair in a ponytail. The boy ignored the giggles that escaped her mouth, happy to see her laughing at him rather than disappointed in his action, he started walking past her into the back alley he was more then familiar with, sending a text to Iwai in the process.

“So, did you guys do what we asked.” The two boys remained quiet, their hands getting clammy and the voices eluding them. The older men took a step towards them, there height towering over the boys who seemed to shrink away. “Why aren’t you saying anything, don’t tell me you got cold feet, after you already took the money.” With shaking hands, the boys pulled out there wallets “Look we didn’t spend any of your money so you can have it back. Please we just don’t want to get in trouble.”

The men looked at the bills in there shaking hands and smiled before snatching them. They pretended to look through the notes. “I think you guys are a bit short, you know how our boss feels about his money.” The boys eyes widened in horror at the threat “Wait that can’t be true—”

“ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR! YOU LITTLE—”

_Splat._

The mobster got cut off when something popped against the back of his head, he could feel his hair was now wet with something and when he looked down, he could see bright red juice all over his clothes. The two men turned around giving there scariest glares at whoever through the tomato.

Ren smirked under his mask at the faces the mobsters were giving him. He whistled loudly through his mask “Man, you must really hate tomatoes with the look your giving me. They’re a good source of vitamin C you know.”

The girl beside him just palmed her face lightly at his antics but he could tell she was smiling under her mask as well. Despite the situation he was in, he couldn’t help but really enjoy the sight of Makoto in a ponytail. “You shits must have a death wish, why don’t you show us your faces and maybe we’ll go easy on ya.” Ren tapped his finger against his chin like he was genuinely considering the option.

With a snap of his fingers, Ren responded “Or how about you take your money and get the fuck out of here, and we might just let you go back to your boss without having to explain why you got beat up by a couple of kids.” The mobsters smiled with anger at Ren’s threat, smacking their fists into open pams.

They started walking towards Ren seemingly ignoring the girl beside him. As soon as the mobster that Ren chucked the tomato at was withing punching distance. Makoto moved at a speed no one but Ren anticipated to intercept. Taken by surprise, the man had no time to react as his arms was grabbed before being hoisted over the girl’s shoulder onto the hard concrete, the crack of the man’s back was unpleasant to hear but Ren, rubbing his arm, could tell that nothing was broken.

The second mobster seemingly regaining his composure, ignored Ren and went straight towards Makoto who’s back was still facing him. Much like how Makoto made use of the mans focus on Ren, the raven-haired boy moved to intercept but opted for tripping the rushing man, causing his body to fall giving Ren just enough time to move around the mobster, giving him the perfect position to let a right hook blast across the mans chin, causing the poorly dressed mans head to snap suddenly to the left and knocking him out cold.

The two boys stood in awe at the sight of the masked teenagers standing over the grown men’s bodies. Ren turned his glare towards them, and they felt there blood cool. “Get the hell out of here, and don’t you dare get involved in this shit again.” The two nodded before hurriedly rushing past Ren and Makoto not sparing them a second glance.

Makoto walked beside Ren, taking the lackey out of her hair but keeping the mask on. “You could have been nicer about that.” Ren scoffed while shoving his hands into his pocket. “They’re lucky I didn’t beat the message into them.” The girl rolled her eyes but smiled, she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the alley much to Ren’s surprise, “C’mon we need to get out of here before they recover.” Ren pulled his hood down further over his head, hoping that his mask was hiding his growing blush.

-

The two spent their remaining time exploring Shibuya, Ren took her to the arcade where she once again thrashed him in the shooting gallery, though he had managed to lessen the gap in performances just a bit. Afterward, Makato showed Ren where she got her textbooks and even recommended a few novels he might enjoy. Eventually the day came to an end and the two were standing in the station waiting for Makoto’s train. “You didn’t have to wait with me for my train.” Ren just shrugged as he scrolled through his phone “I know, I also don’t have to leave you alone so just humour me.”

The two waited in a comfortable silence until the train finally arrived “Thank you for today Ren, I had a lot of fun.” Ren pocketed his phone and smiled at the girl “So did I, I think our ratio of study to fun is off, but we’ll iron out the creases.” Makoto raised her eyebrow, her lips curling upwards in unison “Oh really, what ratio are you aiming for.” Ren tapped his chin before answering “What about 2:8?” Makoto tried to contain her giggle but failed in doing so, she stepped over the gap and stood in the doorway of the train “At least your understanding of ratios is getting better.” The doors shut splitting the two apart from their conversation. Ren watched as the train started its journey, annoyed by the feeling in his gut from the lack of company.

After he watched the train disappear fully out of sight. Ren turned on his heal and started walking back through the station until he popped out into Shibuya. He looked around until he spied a familiar ball of black and white fur. He strolled over to the cat that was sitting perched on a high fence. “Alright Morgana, you can come back now.” The cat, spurred by Ren’s voice stretched its lean body before hopping from his perch onto Ren’s shoulder I hope you haven’t forgotten our deal.” Ren rolled his eyes before smiling and scratching his friends head “Yeah yeah, your ban on wet food has been officially lifted.”

The two started walking through Shibuya until they came to a familiar alley way. He walked under the neon sign, opening the door and listening to the chime of the store. The man behind the counter turned his attention towards Ren, a small smile ghosting against the rugged man’s lips before disappearing behind a magazine. “Well would you look at that, the kid returns. Don’t get used to me cleaning up your little stunts out the front of my store.”

Ren laughed as he closed the door behind him “Would you rather have a couple of kids get there heads caved in out front instead?” The man huffed a small laugh from behind his magazine before tossing on the counter. “Just don’t make it a habit. Now what Can I get you.” Ren’s smile turned into a smirk as he fished around his bag before pulling out a gold medal, dropping it unceremoniously on the glass counter.


	34. Chapter 34

‘200 dollars! That’s really all we got for the medal?’

Ren smiled at the screen while he typed out his response into the group chat. ‘If you don’t think that’s enough, you’re free to take your complaints to Iwai.’ Ren started tossing his phone in his hands, laughing to himself as he saw the text bubble indicating that Ryuji was typing his response come up and disappear over and over.

‘You know, 200 is honestly quite a reasonable amount of money.’

‘That’s what I thought.’

‘If you two are done, can we please get back to figuring out where to go for the last day of golden week?’

The group brainstormed ideas. Ren wasn’t fussy, in all honesty, he could have been served some ramen and he would have been happy. Ryuji appeared to be in the same boat offering up the option of just getting some beef bowls.

This apparently wasn’t ambitious enough for Ann though. ‘C’mon you guys, this is our celebration of changing Kamoshida’s heart, we have to go somewhere special. Forget it, let me decide and Ren can just bring the cash tomorrow.’ Both Ren and Ryuji started at their screens with a mixture of excitement and fear before agreeing to the blonde’s conditions.

-

“Yo Ren.”

Ren looked up from his phone as he got off the train. Even in the rush of the crowd and packed station he could spot his friend immediately, his beaming smile and loud voice making it more than easy to find him. He returned the blondes smile with one of his own as he pocketed his phone and walked to meet him. “You have any idea what this place Ann picked for us is?”

Ren just shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been living in Tokyo for a month now and I barely know Shibuya.”

They two continued to chat as they made their way towards the address Ann had given them. “Man, this golden week has been so boring. First dude friend I get for years and he ignores me during one of our few holidays.”

Ren rolled his eyes but smiled at the melodrama “We can’t buy you new shotguns and blunt weapons without one of us having a job.”

Ryuji’s typically bright face dampened just a bit. “What are we gonna do now about the whole metaverse thing?” Ren didn’t respond. Mainly because he didn’t have one. He had spent most of his free time thinking about that very question. He had even asked Morgana, but the cat said that it was something he wanted to talk to everyone about.

“I don’t know. But for the mean time. There’s no rush.”

Ren was glad that Ryuji was the bundle of energy he was. Where the dark-haired boy would have strewed in his own self-doubt. His friend immediately bounced back, breathing life into the conversation, making it seem the subject had never been breached in the first place.

-

“You have got to be shitting me.” Ren’s eyes glanced over to Ryuji’s now hunched and depressed form. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel a similar desire. He turned his direction to his other blonde friend who was in the complete opposite mood.

“I’ve read so many things about this place, I have been dying to try there sweets. Let’s go guys.” The girl blasted ahead leaving the two boys to stew in their own sourness.

“I wonder if this place does background checks on their guests.”

Ryuji didn’t even look to Ren as he responded, “Forget the background check, I don’t think they’ll even let me in with my hair and clothes.” Ren looked the boy up and down, had it been somewhere like Ramen or beef bowl, Ren would have Argued that Ryuji’s fashion sense actually worked surprisingly well. The same standard didn’t apply to a high-class restaurant. He walked closer to Ryuji before smacking him against his back, causing the boy’s posture to straighten.

“C’mon, I think I’d rather fight Kamoshida again then keep that girl from her sweets.”

The raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow at the way Ryuji’s body stiffened and his face paled. He could see the boy muttering something under his breath, the only part Ren could catch was something about crepes before the blonde-haired teen made his way inside with Ren close behind, in fear that his friend might just pass out.

The two quickly caught up to Ann who was waiting in front of the reception desk. Her previous vigour and excitement were now masked with furrowed eyebrows and a scowl on her face “I’m trying to tell you that we have the money. I’m just waiting for my friends.”

The man, a twenty something year old waiter in a tux that was clearly two sizes too small for him began looking Ann up and down, As Ryuji and Ren came closer, his attention shifted to them with the same up and down motion, as if he were calculating their net worth based off the measurements alone.

“With all due respect, I don’t believe that this establishment suits you or your friends tastes. Perhaps you three would be better off going to a family restaurant.”

Ren felt his eye twitch in response to the man’s less then subtle jab at their social status. The teen was honestly amazed that he had managed to find someone he wanted to beat up as much as Kamoshida but here he was, standing in front of them being a literal gatekeeper. In his periphery, Ren could see Ryuji step forward, fully committed to giving the guy a piece of his mind. Only to be stopped by Ren casually placing a hand on his shoulder

“Oh no.”

Ren paused as Ryuji looked at him and his growing smirk “He’s mine.”

Ren walked forward past Ryuji and Ann until he was standing right in front of the guy, despite their age difference, Ren was still taller which just made his already growing cockiness skyrocket. “I’m sorry, I’m not too sure I could hear you too well. It sounded like you were telling us that we’re not welcome here.”

A small sweat started to form on the receptionist’s brow, obviously not expecting to be challenged by the teens he was trying to shoo away. “I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean to offend, it’s just that the price of entry tends to be more then what teenagers can afford.”

“Oh ok, so what your trying to tell me is that I look poor. Is that right?”

“Um—”

“Because if I recall correctly, I actually have earned a bit of money from my job.” He grabbed his wallet and pulled out the cash he got from Iwai with a couple extra bills he had gotten from work.

“But if I look poor then I guess there’s no helping it, Maybe I’ll just go to that family restaurant, I’m sure they’ll accept my poor man’s cash.”

“I’m so sorry sir I’ll just—”

Ren leaned over the desk so that he could whisper, and the guy would still be able to hear him. He quickly dropped his playful attitude and adopted a more commanding and insidious tone “What you are going to do it shut the fuck up. Take my money and let me and my friends have our god damn lunch. Am I clear?”

The man in front of him swallowed loudly and nodded in response. Ren moved back and put on a small smile. “Great, now I don’t know about you guys but I’m starving.” Ren started walking forward with Ryuji and Ann following close behind. As Ryuji passed the nervous wreck of a receptionist, he flipped him off as Ann stuck her tongue out at him.

-

The three quickly found themselves a table surrounded by multiple couches giving each teen their own seat. Despite managing to get inside, Ann and Ryuji’s mood seemed to remain eternally sour from the experience “I can’t believe that dick head almost didn’t let us in.”

“He was treating us like little kids.” Ren let out an audible laugh before he tried to cover his mouth earning a curious if not angry look from his friends.

“What is it?”

Ren managed to get his giggles under control before responding. “I just find it funny that your annoyed about being called kids yet here you are sulking.”

Each blonde’s face was blushed with embarrassment with being called out. But they soon found themselves laughing with Ren. “You’re kinda right, we’re here now and that’s what matters.”

Ann started kicking her feet with a newfound vigour “You’re right, it’d be criminal to let that guy ruin our meal.”

Ren smiled as he leaned forward in his chair. “Yep, so how about we eat.” He prepared to stand but was quickly beaten by Ryuji and Ann who were already out of their seats and walking towards the food court.

“I’m starving. Oh dude, mind watching the table.” Ren’s face dipped in disappointment but was soon replaced with wide eyes as he realised what was happening.

“You can’t be serious, are you holding a grudge?” But his words fell on death ears when he saw his friends backs already halfway towards the food.

With a huff, Ren leaned back in his chair. Morgana’s head popped out to give him company. “Don’t sweat it Ren, we’ve saved their life a bunch of times. I’m sure they’ll bring us something delicious.”

-

Ren and Morgana stared at the plate in front of them with disgust before slowly aiming there gazes towards what they once thought were there friends. Ann was happily munching on a slice of cake that was as big as her hand while Ryuji was stuffing his face with all different forms of meat. Ryuji quickly noticed there irritated face. “Oh yeah, we weren’t sure what you guys like, so we just got you that.”

As Ren and Morgana looked at the plate full of a variety of beans stacked as high as a small mount fuji, Ann chimed in “Everyone likes beans right.” Ren felt his eye twitch again as he stood up, grabbing Morgana and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

He started walking by Ryuji before he stopped and gripped the blonde’s shoulder tightly “I will remember this betrayal.”

Ren walked to the buffet, staring in awe at all the luxurious foods he’d only heard of through tv and cookbooks. He never admitted it to his dad, but he had a passing interest in cooking. Especially after his mothers passing when home made food became rarer and rarer.

As he started making his way between tables filling his plate with an assortment of foods, he couldn’t help but overheard the conversation of the guests around him.

“Haven’t you heard the news about the teacher dear?” Ren’s ears perked at the mere mentioning of a teacher.

“Right, Kamoshida was his name wasn’t it. He did some deplorable things to those students.”

“And they still haven’t discovered the cause of those psychotic breakdown incidents.” Ren vaguely recalled what the couple was talking about. After he had moved to Tokyo, there was an accident that affected the whole metro line where a train went out of control as it approached the station. The news reported it as a system malfunction, but a lot of people online were claiming that the reason behind it was the conductor suffered a mental breakdown that caused him to purposely speed the train up.

“Oh, please Margret. Don’t tell me you believe those silly scandals. Perhaps this is a sign of how peaceful Japan has become if you can indulge yourself in such fantasies.” Ren wasn’t aware how obvious he was eavesdropping on the conversation until the two older people were looking directly at him with less than pleased eyes.

“Can we help your young man. Actually, how is it that you can afford to come here? I hope you didn’t bring any of your friends. I’d rather enjoy my food hooligan-free.” Before Ren could even get a word in, the couple moved on leaving the teen to just stand there annoyed by their comments.

As Ren continued to move between tables of food. He couldn’t help but pick up the conversations going on around him. From people in there forties condemning Kamoshida to the younger patrons talking about the phantom thieves. Ren wasn’t sure how but there group had become the talk of the internet.

By the time his plate was full of various dishes, Ren was preparing to return to his table when another conversation caught his attention. “Ratings are through the roof.”

“Really? What’s the reason?”

“The public loves the story of that Kamoshida fellow. People won’t ever admit it but the public loves to hear those types of stories. It makes them feel better about their boring lives. And then when you start talking about that dumb girl that tried to kill her—"

_CHRASH_

Ren stood there glaring daggers into the old man as food dripped down from his clenched fist onto the assortment of broken plates scattered across the ground and table. The man turned to look at the commotion with no doubt a snarky comment ready but as soon as he caught glimpse of glare Ren was shooting him, his throat closed, and his mouth became incredibly dry.

Ren only held it for a moment before he replaced it with his calm and composed façade wiping the food from his fist with his napkin and grabbing his plate as staff quickly rushed to the sound of the crash.

“Is everyone alright?”

“Oh my god. I’m really sorry, it was crowded, and I just bumped into the plate on the table. I’ll be sure to pay for any damaged.”

The staff blew out a breath of air in relief before giving Ren and half-hearted smile. “It’s alright, accidents happen, just be more careful from now on.” Ren gave them a polite bow before he started moving back to his table. As he passed by the couple he got close enough to the man so only he could hear Ren. “People who don’t know shit should keep there dirty mouths shut. Your just as scummy as that Kamoshida was.”

Ren gave the man one final glare before walking past him. Purposely bumping into the mans shoulder.

-

“What was that all about?” Ren simply smirked while sitting himself back down into his chair with his plate full of food.

“You know. Just shutting up a few assholes who didn’t know what they were talking about.”

Seemingly satisfied by Ren’s answer, the four began eating there lunch, the topics varied as food continued to disappear from their plates. From things they did during their golden week to future plans. Ryuji decided he was gonna start training again and Ann was gonna do all she could to help Shiho during her recovery.

Eventually there was a lapse in conversation where everyone was just silently eating there meals before Ryuji spoke up.

“I’ve been thinking.” Ren and Ann looked at the boy, neither said anything aside Morgana who wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to insult his arch nemesis.

“That’s never a good thing.” Ann and Ryuji glared at the cat, but Ren just laughed lightly before flicking the cats head causing his roommate to retreat into his bag. He turned his attention to Ryuji with a calm smile.

“Go ahead Ryuji.”

Ryuji continued to let his glare linger on Ren’s bag for just a moment longer before he took a deep breath and sat forward. From the way his legs bounced slightly and how his hands didn’t seem to know what to do, Ren could tell he had something important to say.

“I want to keep being a phantom thief.” Morgana whose head had popped out and Ann stared at the boy with their mouths agape, most likely because they found it ridiculous that he had just blurted out there identities in a public place, but Ren was a different case. Instead of being shocked or annoyed, Ren just found himself bursting out into laughter. Drawing the attention of his friends and some people passing by.

Ryuji’s face went a brighter shade of pink as he watched Ren continue to laugh his ass off.

“Dude, what’s so funny.”

Ren had to take a few deep breaths to contain his now dull chuckle, but he managed to get the words out.

“I just find it hilarious that I’ve been stressing out how to tell you guys that I was gonna keep being a phantom thief and here you are just blurting it out in a public space.”

Ryuji’s eyes went wider as he realised what Ren was saying. “So, does that mean?”

“Yeah Ryuji. I think we should keep going. The fact that the app is still on our phones must mean that other people have palaces. And if they have palaces, that means only we can change their hearts.” Ren could feel the joy radiating from his best friend as his smile continued to get wider and wider.

“Hell yeah. I knew we’d be on the same page.” Ren and Ryuji exchanged a fist bump when Ann started shaking her head.

“You guys are so dumb. I thought it was a given that we’d keep going on as the phantom thieves.” Ren and Ryuji kept smiling as they heard that Ann was also on board. Clearing his throat, Ren decided to make it official.

“Well then I guess that’s that then. I hereby declare that we are now the phantom thieves of heart.” Ren put his fist into the middle and watched as Ryuji happily placed his own fist into Ren’s and Ann with a roll of her eyes but a smile of her own followed suit. Even Morgana with his comparatively tiny limbs joined in spirit.

“So, I guess that mean’s your gonna keep being our leader? Right Ren.” Ren raised one of his brows in response to her statement.

“Was I ever the leader to begin with.” Both Ryuji and Ann rolled their eyes.

“Wasn’t it obvious that you were the leader dude. I’m not cut out for the whole tactics stuff and I wouldn’t trust one of Ann’s plans as far as I could throw her.”

“Hey, was that meant to be a fat joke?”

“With the amount of cake, you’re eating right now. It might be in the future.”

“Oh, bite me Ryuji” Ren sighed as he started rubbing his temples with his back hunched over.

“At this point I might just kick you two out to get some peace and quiet”

They went quiet for a moment as Ryuji checked his phone. His eyes going slightly wider in the process. “Oh shit. We only have twenty minutes left before we need to leave.”

Ren and Ryuji stared down at the multitude of plates in front of them. All them covered in what could only be described as a mountain of meats. The two boys gave each other a knowing nod indicating they both knew what had to be done. Ann only watched her friends in confusion.

“Guys? What’s the matter—”

But the girl’s words fell on deaf ears as both boys and the cat included started shoving food into their mouths. Ann shook he head in disappointment. “You guys are so embarrassing.”

Ten minutes later and all the mountains of meat on the table had vanished. All that remained were two boys and a cat all splayed out across the furniture groaning in pain, there stomach noticeably larger then when they had first entered the establishment.

Through dangerous burps Ryuji managed to talk. “I don’t think I can look at a steak ever again.” Ren could only groan in agreement.

As each of there bodies began to digest the overpacked food in there stomachs. A single meat ball that had somehow avoided being eaten started to roll across the plate towards the three. Unable to look away, Ren, Morgana and Ryuji’s watched in horror as they felt there bodies react to the single piece of meat.

Like a damn collapsing. Ren and Ryuji shot up to attention listening to rumbling in there stomach. The gave each a sparing glance as the same word escaped both there lips.

“Bathroom.” And they were off leaving only Ann to watch the table shouting at their fading backs.

“Don’t take too long or I’m leaving without you guys.”

Ren and Ryuji let out a sigh of relief as the elevator started making its way back to the floor the restaurant was located on.

“I’m glad we made it. I cannot afford to buy any new clothes. Whose bright idea was it to put the bathroom on a different floor to the place where they serve food?” Ren shrugged his arms and pulled out his phone as he waited for the slow elevator. He could tell something was bugging Ryuji by the way the blonde was fidgeting.

“What’s up Ryuji.” Ren got a small chuff out of seeing the boy flinch when he realised he’d been figured out.

“I’m just wondering if you’re really okay with this whole thing. I mean out of all of us. You have the most to lose being on probation and all.”

Ren smiled at the worry that laced everyone of his friend’s words. He closed his phone before putting it back into his pocket, once his hands were free, he took a deep breath in before exhaling it and putting his hand behind his neck.

“Your not wrong. If we make one wrong decision then that’s it. My life is essentially over. The smart play would be to leave well enough alone and keep my head down.”

Ren could see the way Ryuji’s shoulders sagged a little and it brought a small smile to ren’s features. He reached his fist out and bumped it against Ryuji’s arm, getting the blondes attention.

“But that doesn’t mean that my decision is going to change. Just like I wouldn’t change my decision if I were given the opportunity to ignore what happened that night.”

Ren paused for a moment as memories of the man and woman played in his mind. His expression becoming more and more convicted. “We have the power to change the world. To make sure people are held accountable for the shitty things they do. There’s no way I could knowingly give up that power.”

Ren held his arm out towards Ryuji with a smile on his face “So I guess I’ll ask you this as the leader of the phantom thieves. Will you lend me your strength in changing this shitty world and the shitty people in it?”

Ryuji smiled back at Ren before bumping his fist. “You don’t even have to ask dude. We’re friends. I’ll follow you to hell and back for all you’ve done for me and Ann.” Ren felt his spirits being lifted by the words his friend spoke. He wondered how long it had been since he really had people he could call friends. Back home he had people who he hung out with, but he never felt a connection with them like he did with people like Ryuji, Ann and even to a certain degree, Morgana.

The doors to the elevator opened, Ren and Ryuji started to exit the machine but like they had simply appeared out of thin air. The two boys were nearly crushed by a crowd of people that all scrambled to get in. Somewhere in the chaos, the two got split up and Ren felt himself bump into someone as he was spat out from the crowd.

He took a moment to get his bearings, rubbing his sore body before looking back at the elevator to see which person had caused his to trip. He only managed to catch a glimpse of the person as the elevator doors were nearly closed.

In that short moment Ren could only see a couple of distinguishing features. A pointy goatee below a shiny head. Adorned with gross orange tinted sunglasses in front of irritated eyes.

As quickly as they came into vison, they disappeared as the elevator made its descent. Ren continued to stare at the closed doors with his eyes wide open. A flash of pain stabbed into Ren’s head as memories of that night flooded his mind.

“You okay dude?” Ren’s eyes drifted over to meet Ryuji’s worried gaze and outstretched hand. He looked once again at the metal doors before letting a sigh escape his lips before grabbing the blonde’s hand.

“It’s nothing. C’mon, we shouldn’t keep Ann waiting any longer.”

They started walking back towards the dining hall. Ryuji trying to make small talk talking about how he didn’t want to go back to school but Ren couldn’t bring himself to pay attention as his thoughts kept drifting back to the encounter.

“ _It couldn’t have been him.”_

Whether it was because he didn’t actually believe it or because he didn’t want to. Ren couldn’t be sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys so I got some comments that the syntax of the chapters can make it difficult to read. Especially in regards to dialogue so hopefully this chapter is the first step to improving that. If there are any problems or things that i've overlooked then please feel free to make them known.


	35. Chapter 35

“What took you guys so long?!”

Ren and Ryuji both took a step back in surprise at Ann’s tone.

“Whoa, What’s your deal?”

As if all the anger suddenly disappeared from the sound of Ryuji’s voice, Ann blew out a sigh of frustration before rubbing her arm.

“Sorry. I just had to deal with this lady who accused me of spilling water on her dress. Even though she was the one who bumped into me.”

Ryuji shoved his hands into his pocket before looking around at all the patrons. Ren followed suit and saw what Ryuji surely noticed. How every person walked with an air of arrogance and privilege that none the three had.

“God. Everyone here pisses me off. It’s like they think there the kings of their own castle.”

Ren took a step forward and grabbed his bag from Ann before slinging it over his shoulder.

“It’s like each of them is their own mini Kamoshida.”

Each of the phantom thieves looked around with a pensive face before being interrupted by Ryuji rubbing his hands against his head. “Dammit. That just means we need to find our next target quick.”

Ren motioned for Ryuji to come closer. When the blonde was only a step away, Ren flicked his forehead, sending him reeling.

“What the eff dude?”

Ren held up three fingers, a common method of him essentially telling the hyperactive youth to be quiet for a moment.

“If I’m gonna be the leader. I’m gonna set three ground rules. First, we don’t talk about our business in public places, like a restaurant for example.” Ren smiled at the way Ryuji flinched at the jab obviously directed at him.

“Second. We don’t just pick our targets all willy nilly. We need to make sure they actually have a palace and that what they’re doing warrants our involvement. We’re not just changing hearts because we don’t like the person.” Ren dropped another finger only leaving one left.

“And finally. We decide to go after a target unanimously. If one person doesn’t feel comfortable changing the targets heart. Then we drop it there and then.”

Ren looked at his friends. Ann nodded with a smile on her face clear that she had no issue with the rules. He looked over to Ryuji who was in the process of taking a deep breath to calm himself.

“You’re right. I let myself get caught up in the excitement. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Ren smiled before he took out his phone to check the time.

“I think our time is up. Let’s head off.” The three nodded their heads agreement and started to make their way towards the exit with Ren in the lead. As they moved through the dining area, an altercation caught his attention.

“What are you doing! Don’t you know how expensive this dress is?”

Ren looked over to the source of the commotion. From his position, he could see a lady in an awful looking dress yelling at a busboy who couldn’t have been much older than Ren or his friends. The employee was on his hands and knees picking up pieces of broken glass while trying to apologise to the lady.

“I’m truly sorry ma’am. I lost my footing when someone bumped into me—”

“Do you think that half-hearted excuse will pay for the dry cleaning? I am going to speak to your manager and make sure you never work in this industry again.”

Ren hadn’t noticed that Ann and Ryuji were beside him watching the scene play out as well.

“Man, what a bitch. I feel sorry for the kid.”

As Ren watched, an idea started to formulate in his head. He turned to face Ann “Yo Ann, got any spare hair ties?” The girl gave the boy a suspicious gaze through slitted eyes but complied never-the-less, handing him one of her many spares.

Once in his hand, Ren started heading towards a specific table in mind.

“Yo dude. What’re you doing?”

With a smirk growing on his face, he turned towards his friends with a face mask in his hand “She might not have a palace but that doesn’t give her the right to be an awful person.”

He kept moving towards the table but not before adding one last thing. “Oh, and get ready to run as fast as you can.”

Once he reached his destination, he scoured the table until he found what he was looking for. A small jug of melted chocolate. He quickly dipped his finger into the gooey mess testing its heat. He didn’t like the woman, but he wasn’t going to actually hurt her. When he knew that the temperature wasn’t a scolding burn but rather a mild warmness. He made his way towards the commotion.

His hair was tied up into a man bun. A style that didn’t really agree with his wild mess of hair which is why he was confident he wasn’t going to wear it again anytime soon. With his mask on and his hood up. He was fairly certain that no one would be able to recognise him for what he was about to do. So long as he remembered never to wear his hoody there again.

Navigating between the spectators who were watching what they must have considered a comedy take place. Ren soon found himself standing behind the lady who was still drilling into the poor kid. Ren shot him one final glance and when he saw how the kid was clearly on the point of tears. His resolve was only reaffirmed.

Noticing his presence. The lady turned her ire towards the fresh face.

“And who the hell are you. One of this incompetent kids’ friends—” Her words quickly died in her throat as Ren poured all the warm brown liquid over the lady’s head. He could see the girl’s hair become clumped and sticky and watched as the chocolate made its way down her clothes covering the atrocity of colours and patterns. For a second he wondered if he had actually done the lady a service but quickly realised that she wouldn’t ever see the true beauty behind his art as her face flushed brightly with anger.

“I hope you have a good lawyer kid. Now show me your face!”

If he hadn’t faced literal monsters. The stare of death that came from the lady may have made him consider his actions. Instead, Ren just reached down to the tray the young waiter was holding. Grabbing a strawberry from its perch on a piece of cake and standing back up.

While definitely impressive. The glare the lady was giving him didn’t even compare to the one he’s seen Makoto casually toss out. He gently placed the strawberry on the lady’s head and stepped back to admire his work. He slowly turned away from the woman who seemed like she was about to scream bloody murder and started sprinting towards the exit.

As he passed Ann and Ryuji who were staring with their jaws open and eyes wide. He could only remark with the cockiness he often saved for Joker. “I’d start running if I were you.” Before blasting past the two teens.

The three found themselves gasping for their breaths in an alley far from the hotel they had just been eating in. Despite the pain it caused, none of them could stop themselves from laughing at the situation.

“What the hell was that dude?” Ren had his hands on his knees and struggled to give Ryuji a response.

“Are you trying to question my art?”

Ann was the first catch her breath. She straightened her body and walked to Ryuji and Ren smacking both of them against the head. Ryuji looked up in disbelief.

“Why’d you hit me. He’s the one that did it.” Ann rolled her eyes but smiled at the two boys.

“Oh please. I could see you egging him on from where we were standing.”

Ren rubbed the spot on his head but still laughed at the fresh memory.

“In my defence. It’s not like I made that dress any uglier.” Ann started rubbing her face like a mother having to scold her kids on something obviously wrong.

“Forget about dying in the metaverse. You’re gonna piss off the wrong person one of these days.”

Even though he knew that the comment wasn’t a direct jab at him or his situation. Images of the guy from the elevator surfaced in his mind souring his mood ever so slightly.

“I think I’m past that point already.” Ren responded through whispered breaths.

“You say something dude?” Ren shook the thoughts out of his head and put back on his spirited smirk.

“I was just saying we should think about calling it a day.”

Before Ann or Ryuji could even respond. Morgana’s head popped through Ren’s bag to make his presence known.

“Hold up guys. There something I wanna show you all now that we’re officially the phantom thieves.” The three teens gave hesitant glances at the cat.

The three teens looked at the station each of them frequented on a daily basis and then back to their smug looking cat.

“Uh Morgana. Care to explain why _you_ of all people wanted to come to the station.”

The cat jumped out of Ren’s bag and perched himself on the nearest wall.

“You three are finally gonna help me.” The three all looked at each other hoping that someone understood what he was talking about. When no one took the initiative to answer, they could only resort to turning there questioning gazes back towards Morgana.

When he realised no one remembered, Morgana’s body sagged slightly. “Don’t tell me you all forgot. You’re meant to help me recover my memories.” Ren and Ryuji’s faces quickly morphed from confused to guilt as they realised they had completely forgotten about their friends promise.

Ann who hadn’t been present to their deal continued to look at the boys confused. “What is Morgana talking about guys?”

Ren quickly caught Ann up to speed about the deal the boys had made when they first met the cat in the metaverse. After he was finished he couldn’t bear to look at Ann who was giving him the ultimate look of disappointment. “Wow, I’d expect Ryuji to forget about something like that because… well because he’s Ryuji but even you Ren?”

Ren held his head dejected. He could have easily made an excuse that in the grand scheme of everything that had happened that he couldn’t really be blamed for forgetting something, but he didn’t have the conviction to stand by those thoughts let alone articulate them.

“Sorry Morgana. But that doesn’t explain how being here will help you get your memories back.”

Seemingly content with having the show-off Ren hang his head in shame and getting the chance to have Ann to sympathise with him. He spoke with a newfound vigour.

“Pull out your phone and I’ll show you.”

Ren turned his head looking uncertain but took out his phone regardless. The cat hopped from his perch and landed on Ren’s shoulder. The teen made a mental note that he’d need to put Morgana on a diet if he were gonna keep using his shoulder as a platform to rest on.

“Open the app.”

Before Ren could comply, Ryuji spoke up. “But we don’t know anyone with a palace so how are we gonna go to the metaverse?”

Morgana ignored Ryuji’s question and just looked at Ren waiting for him to open the app. With a shrug of his shoulders, Ren tapped the icon and watched the app open on his phone. Even though it had only been a week since he last used it. It felt oddly nostalgic.

As per Morgana’s next instruction, Ren tapped the search bar and activated the microphone and held it up for Morgana who uttered only one word.

“Mementos.”

An all too familiar feeling washed over the four as their stomachs and all the food still left in them started to shift as the world around them dissolved into something else. Ann and Ryuji felt their knees give out, there bodies clearly not expecting the sudden shift. It took a lot of willpower for Ren to keep himself standing up even after feeling his stomach lurch during the transition.

He looked over to Morgana who was standing a few steps away stretching his new humanoid limbs looking as smug as ever. Ren walked over to the small mascot who hadn’t even noticed the others situation. He leaned down and pulled up the cat by the back of his neck spinning him to face the teen.

“That little stunt just revoked your wet food privileges.” Ren dropped Morgana who’s eyes had gone wide at his newfound punishment.

Having dealt with his roommate. Ren took the chance to look around, despite the clear feeling of entering the metaverse. It wasn’t immediately apparent from their surroundings. They stood in the same place they had entered, at the top of the stairs leading into the station. The only glaring difference was a lack of busy people going about their lives and the darker atmosphere that hung over them.

“I’m gonna punt that cat like a football one of these days.” Ren watched as Ryuji and Ann managed to get back onto their feet. Ryuji was the first to join Ren and take in the scenery.

“Whoa. What the hell is this place. Is this a palace?”

“You’re almost right…For once.” Morgana waddled over to join the two boys seemingly coming to terms with his future dietary plans. Ren raised his eyebrow at the cat’s flippant response.

“Care to elaborate.”

With a sigh, Morgana started to explain. “It’s called mementos. It’s sort of the palace for the general public.”

“That doesn’t answer the question. I thought palaces only formed when someone’s desires became completely distorted?”

“They are. But what about the negative emotions that everyone experiences on a daily basis. All the little things that pile up to leave you in a bad mood.”

Ryuji quickly hopped into their conversation with a new question.

“Ok but why does it still look like Shibuya? I mean in Kamoshida’s palace, everything looked different.”

Morgana shrugged his shoulders like it was obvious. “I mean, do you think the station looks any different when you’re having a rough day. Kamoshida’s palace looked the way it did because he was so convinced of his ego that he began viewing the school as a castle. When you’re having a bad day and you’re on the train, do you think of it as anything other then a train?”

Memories of Ren’s first trip to Tokyo surfaced in his mind where he was cursing his situation. When he looked at it that way, it made a surprising amount of sense. From the looks Ryuji and Ann were giving, it seemed like they had a basic understanding of it as well.

“So why are we here Morgana. How will this help get your memories back?” Morgana seemingly ignored Ann’s question; his gaze almost purely focused on the stairs that would have led to the platforms the teens often frequented.

“Morgana?” The second mention of his name from his lady love managed to get his attention.

“Hmm… Oh sorry. I don’t really know. The best way I can describe it is as a calling. I feel like the answers are waiting for me at the bottom of Mementos.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes “You say you’re not a cat, but you really rely on these feelings of yours for everything don’t you.”

“How many times do I need to tell you that I’m not a cat!”

“Well, if it walks on four legs and licks itself clean then I think it’s cat!”

Ren shook his head while watching his two friends argue before turning to face the long set of stairs looming beneath him. Despite knowing nothing about what they were in for, Ren couldn’t stop himself from feeling excited, even though it had only been a week since his final fight with Kamoshida. Ren was itching to get back into the action.

After Ryuji and Morgana had finished there scuffle, with the help of Ann smacking them both on the head, the four started walking down the stairs. With every step they took, Ren could feel the familiar oppressive atmosphere of the Metaverse, when then finally reached the bottom and were face to face with a set of train tracks. It was almost identical to the feeling he had back at Kamoshida’s castle.

“Whoa. It’s been a while since I felt that chill.”

Ann started rubbing her arms through her suit. “Yeah, I’m starting to remember why I didn’t like being in that castle.”

As Ren listened to his friends. He started to wonder if he was the weird one for enjoying that feeling. He turned to Morgana who had once again entered a trance like state looking down the tunnel in front of them. With a little tap of his foot, he managed to stir the cat back to reality. “What’s the plan now Mona? Do we just walk around the tunnels?”

The Mascot shook his head. “No, this isn’t like the castle, Mementos is an ever-changing labyrinth. If we walk around aimlessly we’ll never reach our destination.” Ren raised an eyebrow at the explanation. It really shouldn’t have come as a surprise but his experience in Kamoshida’s palace left him feeling confident in understanding the rules of the metaverse but apparently he had barely scratched the surface.

“Ok so what do we do then?”

Morgana grinned before puffing out his chest and facing the rest of the phantom thieves. “Mwehehe. I guess it’s time to show you one of my super-secret skills.”

The phantom thieves watched with intrigue and slight apprehension as there companion hopped further away from them before taking in a deep breath. With one paw raised and the other lower. Morgana started to rotate his hands while chanting.

“TRANSFORM!”

With a puff of whimsical smoke and glitter, the teens vision was blocked just enough to obscure what was happening in front of them. When the smoke cleared, the three looks on in awe as there cat like comrade was now replaced with an oddly fuzzy looking van.

Each of the phantom thieves was lost for words, none of them really being able to process what just happened. While ironic that the people who fought the embodiment of gods and folklore on a once regular basis, they simply couldn’t comprehend the idea that Morgana had turned into a mini van. That was until the van talked to them in a familiar high pitched tone.

“What are you guys waiting for? Hop in.”

Ryuji leaned over to Ren and talked in his ear. It couldn’t be called a whisper as he was sure everyone could hear him. “I don’t wanna get in the weird cat van.”

Ren kept his head tilted before nodding to himself. He wrapped his arm around the blonde’s neck and started walking towards the track. “Agreed. Skull and I are just gonna take our chances on foot.” The two couldn’t even get two steps before they were dragged back by the scruffs of their necks.

“C’mon you two.”

-

The three phantom thieves were sitting in the back seats looking out the windows. No one moved until they heard Morgana’s voice. “What are you guys doing?” The teens could only look at one another. When no one volunteered to answer, Ren spoke up.

“Uh waiting for you to go?”

“I’m a van right now. One of you has to drive me?” Ren’s face fell ever so slightly. The idea that his talking cat could transform itself into a van yet couldn’t drive itself actually made sense to the boy. And he couldn’t believe that something so outlandish was juts a normal thought for the teen now.

In the time he spent chastising himself, the other two members stared expectantly at Ren. Once he realised he was being looked at, he turned his attention to his friends. “What? Why are you staring at me?”

The two looked at each other like they were confirming what answer to give the boy and who should do it. Apparently Ann was the better choice. “Welll… Neither Ryuji nor I know how to drive.”

It took a moment for Ren to figure out what they were insinuating. “Oh, I get it. Since I’m a delinquent. I just must have taken my dad’s car for a joyride.” The two continued to look at him, there’s faces unfazed by the facetious remark.

Ren could only hold out for a few seconds before he huffed and jumped over into the driver seat. “You guys suck.”

-

It didn’t take long for Ren to figure out what Morgana meant when he explained how walking through mementos would have been a bad idea. If Ren thought of the normal metro system a maze, then the one represented in Mementos was the whole labyrinth. Every turn they took would either lead to a dead end or a path wrapping back around in on itself.

That in itself wouldn’t have been an issue but almost every dead-end would lead to a fight with a shadow or a glowing chest just begging for Ren to pick it’s lock. Both of which slowed them down considerably.

By the fourth floor, the gang were starting to get bored. Ren was busy trying to control the behemoth that was the Mona van which led to Ann and Ryuji having to keep themselves entertained, something they found difficult with the drab scenery.

“This place sucks. It’s just tunnel after tunnel.”

Ann nodded her head in agreement before speaking herself. “I never thought the day would come where I praise Kamoshida but at least his Palace was something to look at. Even if it was in bad taste.”

SCREECH!

The van came to a sudden halt sending the phantom thieves inside reeling. Ann who had her seatbelt on felt her body whip in place but was lucky enough to escape any whiplash, maybe due the padded seating of the Mona van. Ren and Ryuji however, being the reckless delinquents of Shujin, thought it cool to drive without a seat belt and now found themselves splatted against upholstered seats and front windscreens.

Ren groaned as she tried to peel his face off the window. “Little warning next time Mona. Unless you wanna drive after all.”

“Get over it. We need to find another path.” Rubbing his now sore face. Ren looked out to see what had Morgana so spooked. In front of them stood a particularly large shadow. The ones they had been fighting for the past few floors were on the level of the general shadows of Kamoshida’s palace, so while annoying to deal with, they hadn’t posed any threat to the experienced phantom thieves. But Ren could tell even without his third eye that the shadow in front of them was at least at the level of the arch angel. Or maybe even the Andras.

Ren pulled up the phones navigation app which they had been using to keep track of the paths they had already taken. “Bad news Mona. That way is the only way forward.”

“Oh no.”

Ren really didn’t like the tone of Morgana’s voice. He had gotten used to cocky yet endearing charm of his voice over the past months and there was one thing that Ren realised. Morgana had a wide arrange of emotions, scared wasn’t one that appeared often.

“Is that a problem? Can’t we just go back up to the last floor and head back.”

Despite being a motor vehicle, Morgana still managed to shake his head. Causing the passengers to stir slightly. “There’s no time. If we don’t get to the next floor soon then that shadow will be the least of our worries.”

Each of the phantom thieves raised their eyebrows at the broad statement. Ann was the first to ask the question on all their minds.

“What does that mean Morgana. That’s the only shadow left on this floor?”

Once again, the van shook in rhythm of Morgana’s head bob. “If we wait on one floor for too long. A Very dangerous shadow will show up.”

Ren felt it necessary to ask. “How dangerous?”

Ren never expected to see a van shiver in fear, let alone be inside one when it did but he could safely say that he never wanted to experience it again. He looked through the windshield at the shadow in front of them. It hadn’t moved from its position with its back turned to them, sneaking by seemed like an impossibility and he wasn’t sure how fast the stronger shadows could run here.

Slowly a smile started to draw across his face as he concluded that if sneaking was no longer an option than it only left one possibility left.

To fight.

Ren sat back down in the driver’s seat and turned Morgana’s engine on. He could see the looks of confusion that Ann and Ryuji were giving him in the rear-view mirror. He quickly pulled his seatbelt down and turned to face them. “I’d strap in. I just got a great idea.”

Ren laughed as he saw how quickly the confusion on their faces was replaced with worry and fear as Ann planted herself against the seat while Ryuji scrambled to click in his seatbelt. Ren turned back to face the shadow with his hands on the wheel and foot hovering just above the peddle.

“Mona.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m no longer revoking your wet food privileges.”

Morgana hesitated before asking his question. “Why?”

Ren didn’t answer, instead he just pushed in the parking break and slamming his foot into the peddle with a force he’d usually save for to stomping on shadows heads. The thieves rocketed forward as the tyres of the van spun, screeching as they tried to gain traction. As the distance between the van and the shadow became shorter with each passing second and the screams of his friends egging him on. Ren smile manically until the van was within reaching distance of the shadow which had just then turned to face them.

Like in every action movie he had ever seen. Ren yanked the parking break with as much strength as he could muster, turning the steering wheel as far right as it would allow him. Even through the rushing blood in his ears and the screaming behind him. Ren could still easily here the dreadful sound of rubber skidding across concrete as the van turned nighty degrees. The distance between them and the shadow continued the decrease and right before impact, Ren could only yell to his friends.

“HOLD ON!”

The van collided with the hulking mass of darkness. A rough bump was the only indication they had made contact as the vehicle continued its journey forward before the friction of the ground and the weight pressed to one side caused the van to tip over.

Just before the mass of iron and cat could crash against the ground. Morgana reverted to his normal form seemingly halting there momentum and only causing the phantom thieves the lightly roll against the stone beneath them. Ren being the most prepared quickly rolled onto his feet while his friends weren’t as quick to recover. He casted his gaze toward the being they hit and could see its true form materialize. A small snowman wearing a blue hat was laying on the floor without any legs.

“Dude, gonna need more warning next time you pull a fast and the furious on me.”

Ren continued to smirk while he sauntered towards the crippled shadow drawing his gun from its holster. “Stop complaining and hurry up, we’re not done yet.”

He dashed towards the shadow with his friends following quickly behind, each with their own respective weapons drawn. Ren smiled as he knelt behind the snowman which hadn’t even tried to move. He found it hard to believe that such a cute looking demon could actually be dangerous, but his third eye hadn’t been wrong before.

“Hey little guy. How about you join me, and my friends and I won’t have to turn you into a snow cone.”

The shadow looked up at Ren with an oddly sinister smile. Ren could feel the creature scanning him, gauging his strength before speaking, it’s mouth remaining still the entire time.

“Hee Ho. Sorry, I don’t fight with weaklings.”

Ren felt oddly offended by being call weak by a snowman barely half his height even with its legs still attached. The teen stood up and aimed his pistol at the snowman’s head. “What a shame, but it has been getting warmer, so I guess I’ll live.”

“Hee Ho. I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

Ren’s eyes went wide, he could feel the ground underneath him rumble ever so slightly. He quickly activated his third eye and could see a massive amount of mana underneath him and his friends. He spun his head to look at the other three while yelling “Move!”

Without hesitation, his friends followed his direction, and all leaped back as spears of ice started to shoot up from the ground they were standing on. They had to continue to leap back as spear after spear tracked them until they were about 10 metres away from where they had originally surrounded the shadow.

Even with the distance between him and the shadow. Ren could still see the little snowman from hell. He drew his knife before tossing it into the air and leaping after it, using his foot to give the knife the speed it’d need to make to distance but just before it could reach the shadow, a massive wall of ice erected from the floor separating the phantom thieves from their target and their destination.

Ren swore under his breath as he landed on the floor and started making his way towards the wall. The spikes that had chased them quickly disappearing as they no longer had any mana to sustain them. No doubt all of which had be directed to keep the wall up. He grabbed his knife, yanking it free and putting it away.

Ryuji walked up beside him and tapped lightly on the wall with his fist to gauge the strength of it. “Man, that snowman almost turned us into shish kebabs.”

The blonde looked over to Ren. “So got any plans.”

Ren looked over to Ryuji, ready to vent about being tricked by a 2-foot snowman but quickly stopped himself as he looked over the boy, noticing the new metal bat they had picked up in the palace prior. Ren felt the gears turning in his mind and the smile return to his face. “Yeah. Just a quick question. How good were you at baseball?” Ryuji gulped as he felt a chill run down his spine.

-

“You ready?”

Ann nodded her head in response to Ren’s question. Shortly after, the leather cladded teen laid her palm bare, in a blaze of blue flames, Carmen appeared before her. As he face focused, a small fireball the size of a baseball formed in her hand. Ren placed his own palm on top of the ball of magical flames, taking it from the girl in the process. Even through his glove, Ren could feel the heat radiating from the small fireball.

“Uh dude, are you sure this is a good idea?” Ren turned his head to give Ryuji a playful smile. He started to pump the ball of fire with his own magic, feeling it growing larger as the heat became more and more unbearable to be near and by the way Ryuji’s eyes went wide in horror.

“Nope.”

Ren tuned his entire body bringing the ball of fire which was now larger than the teen himself.

“Batter up.” As if it was as light as a beach ball, Ren casually tossed the ball into the air laughing as Ryuji suddenly came to his senses and readied his bat. Once the ball fire had reached its apex and started it’s quick decent back down, a tailwind of magical air started to spin behind Ryuji’s bat brought about by Morgana’s persona.

Ren watched gleefully as his friend swung at the fireball, it rocketed forward with a speed even Ren wasn’t confident he could dodge before colliding with the wall of ice. Ren had expected the wall to melt away before anything else but was pleasantly surprised when audible cracks echoed through the tunnels.

Ren was already strolling forward when the cracks soon became too large to still be considered cracks and instead simply became parts of the wall that had crumbled away before all at once, the wall shattered into thousands of icicles raining down on the phantom thieves who had followed Ren into the fray. He could hear Ann and Ryuji gasp in awe at the beautiful sight of the artificial light from the lamps above refract through the tiny fragments of ice letting colours finally dance across the drab stonework.

Morgana had strolled up beside him as the group walked over the spot the once occupied but now only a puddle remained. “You come up with the strangest plans Joker.”

Ren shrugged his shoulders as kept moving forward, turning to face his friend. “They tend to work don’t they?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Guess what, the story isn't dead.  
> (Yet)  
> I'm sorry that there was such a gap between chapters but I was feeling burnt out on it honeslty. Trying to remember what happens during the second arc was beoming more troublsome then fun and that was making it less then enjoyable to actually write.  
> I have ideas for cool scenes and fights. New power mechanics and the works but then I remmeber that I'm going to have to write so much inbetween that I lose motivation. Add personal life stuff on top and it became something that I honestly thought about just dropping.
> 
> But I stil really love writing this story, I still think about in my off time or while i'm in the middle of work so I think I'm going to stick with it. At least until it becomes completely unfun to continue with. But I'm going to start deviating from the original canon a lot more, Times are going to become out of date and story elements will change just so I can go at a good pace that isn't bogged down but having to hit unnecessary plot points.
> 
> I hope you guys will continue reading but I wouldn't blame any of you for wanting to drop it until it's fully done because releases will be a lot more sporratic from here on out.  
> Thanks anyway and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


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